Rizky Eka Pratama and the 25th seat: What gap is John Herdman filling for Indonesia?

On 22 September 2026, a young footballer left Makassar for Jakarta. He was not carrying trophies or records, just three starts from the opening rounds of the season and one assist in a 3-3 draw. By the time he reached Indonesia's national-team training centre, John Herdman's squad list had exactly 25 names. Before becoming a name, everyone is just a stride. Rizky Eka Pratama is inside that moment.

The information came from PSM Makassar, not from the federation. Media officer Sulaiman Abdul Karim confirmed Rizky Eka had travelled to Jakarta to join the national team. It was Indonesia's second addition in four days, after defender Shayne Pattynama of Persija Jakarta was added on 20 September. The preliminary list published on 18 September had 23 players. Three days later, the number had become 25.

Indonesia have not published their official squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. PSSI's silence over possible cuts makes the current 25 names provisional. Local media explain the additions as common practice, because Singapore also registered 25 players. But a number never tells the full intention of a coach.

Rizky Eka Pratama is a left winger. He started all three opening matches for PSM Makassar in the 2026/2027 Super League and contributed one assist in the most recent 3-3 draw. No goals, no xG, no heat map. Yet that small data set has not reduced his value in Herdman's eyes. This is his second call-up under the English coach, after featuring against Vietnam and Singapore in the previous AFF Cup gathering.

Familiarity with the system is the greatest asset of a late call-up. He does not need to learn movement patterns from scratch. He only needs to walk into training, find the rhythm with teammates he has played with before. For a team in the final stretch of preparation, that is a low-integration-cost advantage.

Herdman is reinforcing wide-attacking depth, not reshaping the system. Adding a left winger and a defender in the same week looks like broad insurance rather than a reaction to one specific position. If only the left flank worried him, Pattynama would not have been added.

Moving from 23 to 25 players in four days also reveals how Herdman sees his bench. No injury has been reported. The extra names look deliberate, not like patching holes. It is a way to raise internal competition when every player knows the final list may not have room for everyone.

ASEAN Cup group stages are often compact and intense. A team is only strong on the pitch if the bench is long enough. Herdman has worked in environments where squad depth decided whether a team advanced or went home early. His three additions in four days are preparation for the worst scenario: a training injury, a red card in the opening game, an unexpected hole in the squad.

I have followed many national-team gatherings in Southeast Asia. Based on my experience watching these matches, late call-ups often carry a different energy: they know they do not have much time to prove themselves, so they run more, fight harder, and protect the ball more carefully. Experienced coaches do not see that as risk. They see it as a catalyst for the dressing room.

There is another side to the story, and it belongs to the club. PSM Makassar lose a key player during the early rounds of the Super League. He had started three matches, meaning his fitness was already in rhythm. Now he carries the load of two fronts. The club takes the risk while the national team takes the benefit. That is the structural asymmetry of the international calendar, rarely compensated.

From the outside, 25 names looks like abundance. From the inside, it exposes a gap. If Herdman were truly settled at left wing, he would not add another left winger so close to the squad deadline. Constantly adding instead of locking an early core suggests the position still has no clear owner. Indonesia have many options, but that may be something Herdman must accept before finding the real answer.

The order of information is also telling. The first person to confirm the call-up was a club media officer, while PSSI stayed quiet. That means the story started from the club side. For a writer, that silence is information. An empty seat still holds a person – we just no longer hear their applause. But that applause has not disappeared; it is waiting to be heard again.

Rizky Eka Pratama may play from the first match, or he may sit on the bench for the whole group stage. That matters less than the fact he appeared at the moment Herdman needed another option. A great match is never fully told; it only waits for someone quiet enough to listen. This tournament will answer Indonesia's question about squad depth, but before that, it shows us a coach assembling pieces into his empty seats.

When the ball rolls at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, I will watch Indonesia's bench more than the starting eleven. The eyes of a young player waiting on the sideline can tell the future of a team more clearly than any contract. Rizky Eka left Makassar for something bigger than a starting spot. He left to prove that his seat is never empty, even when no one sees him sitting there.