Indonesia to Face Guinea in the 2024 Paris Olympics Playoffs
- PSSI
Jakarta – Indonesia has defeated by Iraq 1-2 in the match for third place playoff in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar on Thursday (May 2).
Things were initially looking positive for the Indonesians - who had already exceeded all expectations in getting this far in their tournament debut - as they took the lead in the 19th minute.
After a short corner routine was cleared only as far as the edge of the box, Ivar Jenner let fly with a powerful low drive from 25 yards that opposition goalkeeper Hussein Hassan was unable to keep out at his near post despite getting a hand to it.
But eight minutes later, Iraq responded when Indonesia custodian Ernando Ari failed to adequately deal with a set-piece and sent the ball looping dangerously inside the area, where Nihad Mohammad would climb highest and nod a header towards the line for Zaid Tahseen to glance home from a yard out.
With neither side able to find a winner inside the 90 minutes, the game then went to extra time, where it was Iraq's talismanic playmaker Ali Jassim who would emerge as the match-winner, capitalising on a crucial error in judgement from Indonesia's stand-in captain Justin Hubner to race through and finish past Ernando into the bottom corner.
The result means Iraq will join Japan and Uzbekistan - who face off in Friday's final - as Asia's confirmed representatives at the Olympics.
The Red and White must postpone the certainty of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. They will fight again against the African representatives, Guinea U-23 on May 9 2024.