P

ersibo Bojonegoro will challenge defending champion Sriwijaya FC in the last-eight of the Copa Dji Sam Soe soccer championship.

It will be yet another tall order for Persibo, after the team from the Premier League stunned two-time Copa champion Arema Malang and last season's semifinalist Pelita Jaya - both from the more prestigious Super League - in earlier rounds.

"We feel more privileged being labelled the underdog team. Our players usually play better when competing against greater teams than average teams," said Persibo assistant manager Abdul Mun'im during the draw for the quarterfinals in Jakarta on Wednesday.

This season, Copa Dji Sam Soe Indonesia features 52 teams - 18 from the Super League, 27 from the Premier League and seven from the First Division - with a total of 102 matches to be played between Nov. 5 last year and June 28 this year.

Having scalped some big names, Persibo is the revelation of this year's competition.

The team's advance revolves around Samsul Arif's in-form performance. The 23-year-old striker, who started his Persibo stint as a reserve player for three years, is currently top scorer, with eight goals.

"Samsul is an incredibly talented player, discovered during a local competition in 2005. He's never been to a soccer school," Abdul said.

Meanwhile, Palembang-based Sriwijaya FC manager Baryadi expressed optimism about the draw.

"We're content with the draw and ready for the match," he said.

Sriwijaya triumphed at last year's Copa Indonesia by defeating Persipura Jayapura 4-1.

The Copa Indonesia championship was first held in 2005, with Arema winning the first two seasons.

The quarterfinals also see PSMS Medan take on Persipura Jayapura and Persija Jakarta against Deltras Sidoarjo, while the other tie will be Persijap Jepara against the winner of the match between Persebaya Surabaya and Persitara of North Jakarta.

The matches will be played in a home-and-away format.

Due to financial constraints, Persija will host its match against Deltras in Malang, East Java.

"We'll release the quarterfinal match schedule tomorrow," head of the Indonesian League Board Joko Driyono, who supervised the drawing, said.

Persipura, nicknamed the Black Pearl, is looking for a double this season, as it currently leads the Super League standings.