Persib Defeat Sabah FC, Igor Tolic Reveals Squad’s Weaknesses

Persib coach Igor Tolic was pleased with his team’s convincing 3-0 victory over Sabah FC in the Dewata Challenge Series. The match was held at Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

Persib dominated the game from start to finish. Playing in front of their home supporters, Tolic’s side appeared confident and successfully executed the strategy they had prepared beforehand.

Igor Tolic said the victory was the result of Persib’s preparations during their time in Bali. However, he admitted that his players still looked fatigued after undergoing several days of high-intensity training.

“Yes, what we have been working on over the past few days has been very intense. We did a lot of sprinting, so you could see that our legs were not quite fresh,” Tolic told reporters.

Despite the fatigue, Tolic praised his players for their hard work and their growing understanding of Persib’s style of play, particularly their approach to quick transitions. When Sabah FC had possession, Persib’s players were also able to apply pressure and make it difficult for their opponents to find openings.

“We managed to create some good counterattacks. We also applied some pressing from goal kicks, which is something we have been working on in training,” Tolic added.

When asked about the team’s shortcomings, Tolic acknowledged that Persib’s counterattacking process was still not as effective as it could be. However, he said this was something the coaching staff had anticipated and that they would work to improve it in order to perfect the team’s quick-transition system.

“What we were lacking was the ability to break out of a low block and push forward. But this was something we had already anticipated for today’s game,” Tolic concluded.