Founded in 2019, Kemukus FC brings together around 20 players every weekend in Clifton Park soccer field, in Brunswick, Melbourne. With no pressure to play competitively, the group is open to everyone, including uni students, their partners and Working Holiday visa holders. What matters is showing up, having a good time and catching up with fellow Indonesians.
During Ramadan, Kemukus FC keeps the ball rolling with a few adjustments: kickoff is pushed closer to maghrib and games are broken up with regular breaks so those fasting can join in comfortably. Non-Muslim members are also on board with the changes. After the game, players share simple snacks to break the fast together.
But Kemukus FC is about much more than football. It is a space where people swap tips on uni life, share job leads and talk through the ups and downs of living abroad. For its members, the community brings back the warmth and sense of connection they miss from home, especially during Ramadan.
Listen to our conversation with Ulil Albab, one of the group's founders, and Abrian Duta Firmansyah, a Kemukus FC member about how football has become the glue that holds Melbourne's Indonesian diaspora together, particularly during Ramadan.
