January 14, 2026 | 10:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The new head coach of the Indonesian national team, John Herdman, hopes that Rizky Ridho, the central defender for Persija Jakarta, will soon "step up" after five seasons in the nation's top football competition. He believes that Ridho has demonstrated consistency in the domestic league and that he now needs a greater challenge to develop his abilities.
"We have players like Rizky Ridho who have performed well in the league. Hopefully, he can step up to the next level," said Herdman after his first press conference in Central Jakarta, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, as quoted by Antara.
Ridho made his debut in Liga 1, now known as the Super League, in March 2020 with Persebaya Surabaya against Persipura Jayapura. He was only 18 years old at the time. He has been a regular player for Persebaya since his debut before moving to Persija Jakarta for the 2023-2024 season.
In total, Ridho has made 110 appearances in the Super League, scoring six goals and providing two assists. At the national team level, the 24-year-old defender has earned 47 caps and scored four goals. Out of this total, he made 18 appearances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, making him the Indonesian player with the most appearances in the qualifying rounds, with only two absences throughout the series of matches.
His consistency has often led to suggestions that Ridho is worthy of "stepping up", which, by many, is interpreted as a career opportunity abroad. Although Herdman did not explicitly mention the next step, his emphasis on raising the level of competition suggests that new challenges are important for players who have established themselves in the domestic league.
At the same time, Herdman emphasized the importance of a strong professional league as the foundation for the future of Indonesian football. According to him, the national team cannot develop without a healthy domestic competition that is taken seriously by the head coach.
"I think we need to recognize the importance of the professional league here. I watched the Persib versus Persija match a few nights ago. The game was intense and passionate, just like a derby typically is," said the Consett-born coach from England.
Herdman emphasized his commitment to monitoring league matches directly, especially those involving local and young players. He mentioned that the absence of the national team coach from the stadium is a bad sign for the development of local players.
"If the national team coach does not watch the domestic league, then there is no hope for local players," he said. "It is important for young players, including those playing for Borneo FC and other clubs, to know that the national team coach pays attention to them. Because they are our future."
Read: John Herdman Sets Short-Term Goals for Indonesia
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