Persib Bandung Stun FC Seoul 1-0 in AFC Champions League Two Opener

RRI.CO.ID, Seoul — Persib Bandung head coach Igor Tolic praised his team’s resilience after the Indonesian champions opened their AFC Champions League Two 2026/27™ campaign with a 1-0 victory over FC Seoul on Wednesday. Julio Cesar’s fifth-minute strike proved enough to secure all three points for Persib, with Tolic particularly pleased with the way his players defended their early advantage against the Korea Republic side.

“We played a derby in the league last week and then had a long journey to Korea,” Tolic said at the press conference on Thursday, 17 September 2026. “Today I selected the players who were confident and ready to play.”

Tolic acknowledged that the match was not particularly spectacular and that Persib benefited from FC Seoul fielding a much-changed side, but said securing the victory was the priority.

“I'm very happy with the victory. As far as I know, this is the first time an Indonesian club has won away in Korea. We are a team that is growing and developing, and we want to do well in this competition,” he said.

The Persib coach also admitted his side had some fortune during the match, particularly as Seoul increased the pressure after the interval. “I want to thank our defensive line for the way they defended until the end,” he said.

Persib made a good start when Cesar side-footed the ball into the net from an acute angle on the left in the fifth minute, following a Marc Klok corner. The early goal silenced the home crowd and gave the visitors an advantage they would protect for the remainder of the match.

The Indonesia Super League champions, who were the last team to confirm their place in the group stage, controlled much of the opening period and restricted Seoul to limited opportunities. Teja Paku Alam then played an important role in preserving Persib’s lead, punching away a dangerous inswinging corner from Park Jang Han-yeol before pushing Jeong Hyeon-woo’s powerful effort away in the 34th minute.

Regarding the match, FC Seoul head coach Kim Gi-dong expressed disappointment after his rotated lineup failed to make home advantage count. He said conceding so early disrupted his intended approach to the match.

“We rotated the team, but this was our first game and we were playing at home, so of course we wanted to win. It's disappointing that we couldn't,” Kim said.

Kim said he had hoped the younger players in his lineup would show greater confidence. He added that experience could help them develop into important players for the club.