Rizky Ridho Recalls Kissing Garuda Celebration, Played Through Injury for Indonesia.

Indonesian National Team defender Rizky Ridho recalls the most emotional moment of his career: celebrating the 1-0 victory over Bahrain in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, March 2025.

That moment was captured in an iconic photo now displayed at the Media Cup 2025 Photo Exhibition themed "Indonesian National Team Through the Ages" in Cibis Park, South Jakarta, Tuesday, October 28, 2025. In the photo, Ridho kisses the Garuda emblem on his chest while pointing to the sky, a celebration laden with the meaning of struggle.

"It's certainly a pride to represent the Indonesian National Team. It's not easy to reach a point like this. Seeing photos of the players makes me very emotional as it reminds me of various moments," said Ridho while attending the exhibition.

The 23-year-old player has made 47 appearances for the Indonesian National Team, and one of his most memorable moments remains that heroic match against Bahrain. 

In that match, Ridho played with a severe injury and even switched positions to striker in the final minutes.

"In this celebration photo, I remember it was when we won against Bahrain. I was holding back pain and asked the coach to substitute me, but it wasn't possible anymore because the substitution quota was exhausted," revealed Ridho.

At that time, coach Patrick Kluivert had already used all five substitution slots, bringing on Ivar Jenner, Eliano Reijnders, Sandy Walsh, Ricky Kambuaya, and Ramadhan Sananta. Unable to be substituted, Ridho decided to keep fighting on the field, even playing upfront alongside Sananta until the final whistle.

"That's why, if you look, I was up front towards the end," he recalled.

Despite enduring pain, Ridho's determination to keep fighting for the Garuda emblem never wavered. His celebration that night became a symbol of unyielding fighting spirit.