Iraqi forward Ali Jasim runs behind the net as he celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Under 23 (U-23) AFC Qatar 2024 Asian Cup third-place match between Iraq and Indonesia at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on May 2, 2024. (AFP/Karim Jaafar)
T
he Indonesian soccer team has only one more chance to secure a spot in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics after losing to Iraq in the third-place playoff of the Under 23 (U-23) Asian Cup in Qatar on Thursday.
Iraq secured a third-place finish at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital of Doha with a 2-1 extra-time win over the Indonesian U-23 national team, dashing the Southeast Asian soccer team’s hope to automatically qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1956.
Midfielder Ivar Jenner gave the lead to Indonesia in the 19th minute after the Iraqi players failed to clear the ball from a corner. But Indonesia’s lead did not last long as Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen headed an equalizer eight minutes later.
The match went into extra time as the score leveled by the end of the second half. Iraqi striker Ali Jasim struck a right-footed goal six minutes into extra-time, sending Iraq’s national soccer team to the Olympics for the sixth time.
Iraq joined Japan and Uzbekistan as the three countries gaining automatic qualification for the Summer Games, having made the top three teams finishing in the U-23 competition.
Read also: Calls for consistency as Indonesia readies for historic soccer semifinal
Despite the defeat, Indonesia manager Shin Tae-yong said he was still proud of his players for their performance in Qatar.