Persiku Kudus edged out Persiba Balikpapan 2-1 in a tightly contested Indonesian Liga 2 fixture on January 18, 2026. The home victory at the Wergu Wetan Stadium was crucial for Persiku Kudus as they fought back from a goal down to claim the win. Persiba Balikpapan opened the scoring midway through the first half with a well-worked team move. However, Persiku Kudus responded with intensity after the break, equalizing from a set-piece situation. The match winner came in the 75th minute, a powerful strike from outside the box that gave the Persiba goalkeeper no chance. The result had immediate implications for the league table, moving Persiku Kudus up the standings while halting Persiba Balikpapan's momentum. Both managers acknowledged the competitive nature of the match in post-match comments, with the Kudus coach praising his team's resilience.