Two Thai Clubs Become Persija's Pre-Season Trial Match Opponents, Shin Tae-yong Has Two Separate Distinct Targets.

After completing around one week of training camp in Thailand, Persija Jakarta will assess the team's progress by holding two friendly matches against Thai football clubs. The two selected opponents are Police Tero and Chiangrai United.

Police Tero competes in the second division league, while Chiangrai United is a club playing in Thailand's top football tier. Persija will face Police Tero on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, before taking on Chiangrai United on Saturday, 22 August 2026.

Persija head coach Shin Tae-yong has set distinct targets for both matches. The first fixture will be used to synchronise player coordination, as well as implement the training materials and tactics that have been delivered throughout the training camp.

"So on 19 August 2026, we will first prioritise aligning team coordination, collective drills, and tactical practice", stated Shin, quoted from Persija's official website on Sunday.

The match against Police Tero will serve as the first test for Persija's playing structure. Shin wants to observe whether the training patterns applied during the camp can already be executed consistently by the players during match play.

Chiangrai As Benchmark For Full Strength Squad

After testing basic coordination and tactics against Police Tero, Persija will face a different challenge when they meet Chiangrai United.

For this second match, Shin plans to give the first team players extended playing time. This fixture is expected to provide a clearer picture of Persija's overall readiness ahead of the competitive season kickoff.

"Most likely on 22 August 2026 when we face Chiangrai, we intend to field our best starting line-up", he added.

By facing teams from two different league divisions, Persija gains the opportunity to measure their performance across two separate contexts.

Police Tero will act as the platform to build team coordination foundations, while Chiangrai United will provide a much more rigorous test of the team's playing quality and the performance of the core players.

Six Indonesia National Team Players Have Joined The Camp

Shin also intends to use both friendly matches to evaluate every player in his squad. The Persija roster is now at full strength, after six players who previously represented the Indonesia National Team at the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup joined the camp last Friday.

These players are Rizky Ridho, Jordi Amat, Shayne Pattynama, Dony Tri Pamungkas, Rayhan Hannan and Nadeo Argawinata.

Their arrival gives Shin more options when composing team line-ups. However, the South Korean head coach confirmed that not every player will feature for the full duration in both matches.

"There will certainly be squad rotation across both of these matches", he noted.

This rotation is a deliberate part of the preparation phase, as Persija still has adequate time before entering the new season.

Shin will be able to allocate match minutes to players who need gametime exposure, while also managing and preserving player fitness levels.

Persija Prepares For Season Opener

These two matches held in Thailand form part of Persija's full preparation schedule ahead of the 2026/2027 Super League campaign.

Once the training camp and friendly fixtures are completed, the Macan Kemayoran will immediately shift their full focus to competitive matches.

Persija is scheduled to open their season with an away fixture against Borneo FC at Segiri Stadium, Samarinda, on 5 September at 19.00 WIB.