Persipura Jayapura 2026 begins with a familiar ambition but a markedly different set of circumstances.
The Papua football powerhouse has introduced a 35-player squad, a new jersey, and a reshaped management structure as it prepares for the 2026/2027 Championship season, with one objective clearly in view: returning to Indonesia’s top flight.
The launch, held in Jayapura on August 30, presented the team under the theme “Satu Hati, Satu Tujuan,” or “One Heart, One Goal.” The event was connected simultaneously with five other cities, namely Sorong, Timika, Wamena, Jakarta, and Yogyakarta, allowing supporters outside Jayapura to follow the unveiling. ANTARA reported that Jayapura served as the main location and broadcast center.
But the new season is not simply about adding players.
Persipura enters the campaign after narrowly missing promotion in the previous season, while disciplinary sanctions have forced the club to temporarily relocate its home matches to Sidoarjo. At the same time, Andri Ramawi has taken over as head coach, and Eveline Injaya has been appointed manager, becoming the first woman to occupy the position in the club’s history.
Together, those changes point to a club attempting to rebuild both its sporting performance and its organizational structure.
A 35-Player Squad Built for Promotion
The most visible part of the rebuilding process is the squad.
Persipura introduced 35 players for the 2026/2027 championship campaign. The group combines experienced names associated with the club, younger players, and several new additions.
Among the established figures are Boaz Solossa, Ian Kabes, Ruben Sanadi, Yustinus Pae, Feri Pahabol, Reno Salampessy, Todd Ferre, Ramai Rumakiek, and Gunansar Mandowen, while the squad also includes Jeam Kelly Sroyer and Brazilian forward Alexandro Dos Santos Ferreira. The entire squad was officially presented as part of the season launch.
The combination reflects an attempt to balance experience with fresh energy.
For a club seeking promotion, that balance can be important. Experienced players bring familiarity with the pressure of Indonesian professional football, while younger players can add pace and competition for places.
Persipura also enters the season with a psychological incentive. The club came close to promotion in the 2025/2026 campaign but lost to Adhyaksa FC in the promotion playoff.
That disappointment now provides part of the backdrop to the new campaign.
“One Heart, One Goal”
The launch theme is more than a marketing phrase for the club.
Persipura chairman Benhur Tomi Mano said the slogan was intended to become a shared spirit for everyone involved with the club as it pursues a return to the highest level of Indonesian football. He also described Persipura as more than a football team, emphasizing its connection with the identity and pride of Papua’s people.
That relationship between club and community is one of Persipura’s distinctive characteristics.
For decades, the Mutiara Hitam, or Black Pearls, have been closely associated with Papua’s football culture. The club’s success has produced generations of supporters and players, while its academy and senior teams have helped establish Papua as an important source of football talent in Indonesia.
The promotion target therefore carries significance beyond the league table.
A return to the top division would restore Persipura’s place among Indonesia’s most prominent clubs and give its supporters another opportunity to see the team compete at the country’s highest level.
Andri Ramawi Takes Charge
Behind the squad is a new coaching direction.
Persipura appointed Andri Ramawi as head coach in July, replacing Rahmad Darmawan. The decision was made by football director Angel Alfredo Vera, who said Ramawi understood the character of Papuan players, Persipura’s culture, and the expectations surrounding the club.
Ramawi is not entirely unfamiliar with the organization.
According to the club and local reporting, he had formerly worked with Persipura and also shared professional experience with Alfredo Vera at PSIS Semarang. That familiarity was among the factors behind his appointment.
The division of responsibilities is also clearer under the new structure.
Alfredo Vera is responsible for the broader football direction as the football director, while Ramawi takes direct responsibility for the team on the training ground and during matches.
That separation can provide greater clarity in decision-making.
For Persipura, the immediate challenge is turning a large squad into a coherent team. Thirty-five players offer depth, but they also require careful management of playing time, competition for positions, and team chemistry.
The quality of the coaching structure will therefore be crucial.
Eveline Injaya Makes Club History
The most striking change away from the pitch is the appointment of Eveline Sanita Injaya as manager.
Her appointment makes her the first woman to hold the managerial position in Persipura’s history. She was formally introduced during the club’s season launch in Jayapura.
Eveline is not a newcomer to professional football in Papua.
She previously served as the president director of PSBS Biak during the 2024/2025 season. Her experience in football administration has now brought her into Persipura’s management structure.
Her role will extend beyond matchday responsibilities.
A club manager typically becomes an important link between players, coaches, management, sponsors, and other stakeholders. With Persipura operating under financial and logistical constraints, that coordination could be particularly important.
Eveline has acknowledged that managing a football squad involves dealing with players who have different personalities and backgrounds. She has also emphasized the need to build relationships with new players while maintaining existing connections within the squad.
Her appointment consequently represents more than a symbolic change.
It gives Persipura an experienced football administrator at a time when the club is attempting to establish a more professional and stable management structure.
Sidoarjo Becomes Persipura’s Temporary Home
One of the greatest challenges facing Persipura this season is geographical.
The club will not begin the Championship campaign playing its home matches in Jayapura. Instead, it has selected Gelora Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo, East Java, as its temporary home.
The move follows disciplinary action connected to disturbances during Persipura’s promotion playoff against Adhyaksa FC at Lukas Enembe Stadium on May 8, 2026.
The initial disciplinary decision prohibited Persipura from hosting spectators for a full season. Following an appeal, the sanction was reduced so that the club would play without spectators for half a season. The ruling also included restrictions affecting the north and south stands later in the campaign.
That decision has forced the club to consider both sporting and financial consequences.
Playing away from Jayapura means losing the direct advantage of home support. Persipura’s supporters are an important part of the atmosphere surrounding its matches, and the distance between Papua and Java makes regular travel difficult for many fans.
Yet the relocation has also been framed in economic terms.
Reports have said that playing in Sidoarjo is intended to help control operational expenditure. The club can use the location as a practical base while managing the consequences of the disciplinary ruling.
A Difficult Sporting Calculation
The decision illustrates one of the less visible realities of professional football.
Clubs must balance sporting ambitions with financial sustainability. For Persipura, the cost of moving players, staff, and match operations between Papua and other parts of Indonesia can be significant.
Sidoarjo offers a different logistical environment.
It is located in East Java, one of Indonesia’s most densely connected regions, with relatively easy access to transportation and football infrastructure.
The tradeoff is clear: Persipura loses the traditional home environment but potentially gains greater control over operational expenses.
For a club trying to secure promotion, that calculation could become important over the course of an entire season.
New Jersey, New Sponsors, and a Broader Identity
The season launch also introduced Persipura’s new jersey and six official sponsors.
They are Bank Papua, Kopi Kapal Api, Ulam Laut, Jelas Lebih Berani, Saga Group, and Mitra Orphys Sports Clinic, according to the Indonesian football league’s official reporting.
The sponsorship package provides an additional commercial foundation for the club.
For Persipura, commercial partnerships are not merely about placing logos on shirts. They are part of the effort to create a financial structure capable of supporting a professional football organization throughout a demanding season.
The club also introduced a Persipura book as part of its identity for the new campaign.
That emphasis on history is significant.
Persipura is attempting to move forward without separating itself from the legacy that has made the club one of Papua’s most recognizable sporting institutions.
Football as a Source of Regional Identity
Persipura’s story is also part of the wider story of Papua’s role in Indonesian football.
The region has produced many prominent players, and Persipura has traditionally been a major platform for developing and showcasing that talent.
The new squad continues that tradition, with several Papuan players featuring alongside experienced and foreign talent.
For younger footballers, competing alongside established players can provide an important learning environment. For the club, developing local talent can also strengthen its sporting identity and reduce dependence on short-term recruitment.
The presence of established figures such as Boaz Solossa and Ian Kabes alongside younger players adds another layer to that process.
Experience can help younger members of the squad understand the demands of professional football, particularly during difficult matches or periods of pressure.
Promotion Is the Ultimate Test
Everything surrounding Persipura’s preparations ultimately leads back to one question: can the club return to the top flight?
The target is explicit.
Persipura aims to regain its position in Indonesia’s top tier after a disappointing performance in the previous promotion campaign.
But achieving that objective will require more than assembling recognizable names.
The team must adapt to Ramawi’s tactical approach. Players need to develop chemistry. The management must maintain financial discipline. And the squad must cope with the unusual circumstances of playing its home fixtures in Sidoarjo.
The pressure will be particularly high because expectations surrounding Persipura remain substantial.
A strong start could quickly generate confidence. A difficult opening period, by contrast, could intensify questions about whether the new structure is working.
The response will depend heavily on the relationship between the coaching staff, players, and management.
A New Chapter for the Mutiara Hitam
The 2026/2027 season therefore represents more than another entry on Persipura’s competitive calendar.
It is a season of organizational transition.
The club has a new head coach in Andri Ramawi, a new manager in Eveline Injaya, a 35-player squad, new commercial partners, and a temporary home in Sidoarjo.
Each change carries its own challenge.
Ramawi must turn individual talent into a disciplined team. Eveline must coordinate a complex organization while managing the personalities and expectations surrounding a historic club. The players must perform away from their traditional home environment. Management must maintain financial discipline while pursuing an ambitious sporting target.
The combination creates a difficult but potentially productive reset.
Conclusion
Persipura Jayapura enters the 2026/2027 Championship season with a clear objective: return to Indonesia’s top flight.
The club’s 35-player squad, unveiled alongside its new jersey and six sponsors, provides the sporting foundation. Andri Ramawi brings a new coaching direction, while Eveline Injaya becomes the first woman appointed as Persipura manager.
At the same time, the club must deal with the consequences of disciplinary sanctions by playing its home fixtures temporarily in Sidoarjo.
That makes the promotion campaign unusually demanding.
Persipura will have to compete without the full benefit of its traditional home environment while maintaining financial stability and building a new team under a new coaching structure.
Yet the club’s preparations also show a willingness to adapt.
The move to Sidoarjo is being used to manage logistical and financial pressures. The appointment of Eveline signals a new approach to management. Ramawi’s familiarity with Persipura’s football culture offers continuity, while the 35-player squad combines experience with younger talent.
For a club whose history is deeply connected with Papua’s sporting identity, promotion would be more than a league achievement.
It would represent the successful beginning of a new chapter.
The first test, however, will come on the pitch. There, history and expectations will give way to results.