Late goal past Indonesia in AFC U-23 Asian Cup match for third place

On By Vaseline

Jakarta. The Indonesian national football team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Iraq in the battle for third place at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.

As a result, Indonesia will have to face Guinea from Africa in a play-off match to secure a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games, on May 9 in Paris.

Meanwhile, Iraq, finishing third in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, automatically qualifies for the Olympics.

Indonesian coach Shin Tae-yong (STY) cited squad depth as a key factor in the defeat to Iraq.

“Iraq played quite well in the second half. We saw that we were not solid in every individual performance,” Shin said at a post-match press conference.

“There is a difference in the level of individual performance. We almost always play with the same eleven players, perhaps that made it difficult for us to match their level,” said the South Korean coach.

Iraq’s victory was determined by their star player, Ali Jasim, who scored in the 97th minute of extra time. The goal came as a result of a mistake by Indonesian captain, Justin Hubner, who failed to tightly mark his team’s top scorer in the cup.

Jasim entered the Indonesian penalty area without much challenge and grabbed a shot that Ernando Ari could not block. The goal was Jasim’s fourth in the competition.

Both teams had to endure two 15-minute extra periods after the match finished 1–1 at the end of the second half.

The Iraq U-23 National Team played in a 4-4-2 formation with Azad and Fadhil as the striking duo, while Indonesia opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation with Rafael Struick as the lone striker.

A long shot from midfielder Ivar Jenner in the 19th minute gave Indonesia a temporary 1-0 lead over Iraq. However, Iraq managed to level the score at 1-1 in the 27th minute.

Iraq defender Zaid Tahseen scored the equalizer in the 27th minute. The goal came from Iraqi midfielder Muntadher who sent the ball into the penalty area from a corner kick, which the Indonesia goalkeeper initially managed to block. However, Ernando Ari failed to clear the ball, allowing Nihad to pass the ball in front of goal to Tahseen, who headed it in.

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