Oxford United are less than 24 hours away from the first fixture in Indonesia, as the team get set to take on Indonesia All Stars.
It’s set to be a huge fixture in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta, with tens of thousands expected in the national stadium to see Gary Rowett’s team take on the best of the Indonesian league.
For the Head Coach, it’s a great opportunity to see the squad in action for the first time in the 2025/26 season. But also, it’s a fantastic opportunity to see the passion for football in Indonesia, particularly towards our national team players Marselino Ferdinan and Ole Romeny.
Speaking ahead of the game on Sunday lunchtime, UK time, he said: “It’s been really interesting, you know, it's not your usual pre-season trip.
“The excitement for Ole and Marselino, and the passion for football in Indonesia has been eye opening. It's been quite enlightening, and I think the players and the staff have really enjoyed it.
“It brings up different challenges. Of course, the heat, the humidity, getting used to that. We're so early in pre-season, but we’re here to do well.
“Normally this early in pre-season we would play against a non-league side at a training ground where you can make as many changes as you want. But here, we are set to play in front of tens of thousands of fans in a humid stadium, so it will be a challenge.
“We want to win, but at the same time, we need to get the players through safely. We also need to get the conditioning right for the players.
“The Championship season is the one that we’re preparing for. But you want to create a winning culture. You want the players to find the mentality straight away.
“It’s not often you get the opportunity to come to Indonesia for two weeks. In terms of a new culture, it’s a really interesting trip and everyone has embraced it.”
