The 2016 Indonesian top tier football league, the Indonesian Soccer Championship, kicked off over the weekend with thirteen matches played across the country and five Liberians in participation.
Liberia internationals Dikir Glay and Abel Gebor made their league debut while league veterans like Boakai Foday, Sengbe Kennedy and James Koko Lomell continued to enjoy their professional career in the Asian nation.
Among the five Liberians internationals, Gebor enjoyed a victory; the rest suffered disappointing results in their league opener.
Gebor, who moved to Indonesia January 2016, played 57 minutes as his Bhayangkara Surabaya United club won 2-1 away at Barito Putera.
Gebor was part of Bhayangkara Surabaya’s starting eleven but was replaced by Zulfiandi Zulfiandi.
Goals from Brazilian Otavio Dutra and Indonesian Rudi Widodo in each half were enough to gun down Barito Putera that took a 14-minute lead through Sierra Leone’s forward, Ibrahim Conteh.
The vital win away from home makes Bhayangkara Surabaya second on the league table with 3 points, one goal less than first place Arema Cronus.
Surabaya will travel away to Persatuan Sepak Bola Tentara Nasional Indonesia and will hope to continue their winning form.
Central defender Glay had the most disappointing debut after seeing his club Persiba Balikpapan fall 2-0 away at Arema Cronus.
Photo courtesy of Dikir Glay
Two first half goals from Hamka Hamzah and Cristian Gérard Alfaro Gonzáles were enough to earn them three points against Persiba Balikpapan, who failed to score a single goal.
Glay played the full 90 minutes and was shown a yellow card in the 62nd minute.
With two goals against it, Balikpapan sits at the bottom of the league table with no point.
Balikpapan will hope to grab their first win when they host Sriwijaya Football Club on May 6.
Midfield maestro, James Koko Lomell, who is also a teammate of fellow Liberian Sengbe Kennedy and Eddie Boakay Foday, registered his name on the scoresheet as their club, Persipura Jayapura got a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against visitors Persija Jakarta.
Perjia took a 12-minute lead through Ade Jantra Lukmana before Lomell leveled the score for Persipura Jayapura six minutes later.
Lomell and Foday made Jayapura’s starting eleven and were both substituted while Sengbe Kennedy came on as a substitute in the 78th minute for Ian Louis Kabes.
Jayapura sits ninth on the league table with just a point.
Featured photo courtesy of James Koko Lomell
