Tensions were extremely high during the AFC U23 Asian Cup bronze medal match. The final Olympic spot in the tournament was at stake, with only one team able to secure a spot in Paris.
Iraq defeated Indonesia 2-1 in extra time at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Thursday, May 2, to earn a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The approximately 10,000 fans in attendance were on the edge of their seats as tensions became increasingly apparent, but after 63 minutes of regulation time and an intermission, the score was tied 1-1, and both countries went into overtime. was brought to.
After the game was tied in the 27th minute, neither team made any effort to advance until Iraq came back from behind. Ali Jasim Six minutes into extra time, he homered the ball, leading his country to victory and winning the championship. He was the tournament's top scorer with a total of 4 goals in 6 games.
Indonesian ivor jenner He was the first to find the back of the net with a low shot in the 18th minute. He turned to Indonesian supporters in the crowd to celebrate the pivotal moment that may have been necessary to seal the country's second Olympic berth after nearly 70 years of failing to qualify. jumped into the sea.
However, the celebrations did not last long as Iraq quickly counterattacked using a corner kick to level the score, denying Indonesia a chance to take the lead.
This was the first and only time Indonesia would celebrate for the rest of the match.
Both teams lost to Japan (Iraq) and Uzbekistan (Indonesia) in the semifinals and advanced to the bronze medal match. Up until this point, they had been on a similar tournament path, dropping the opening game 2-0 before rallying to win three straight.
However, all is not lost for Indonesia, with the final Olympic spot still to be won. Indonesia will face Guinea in the Asia-Africa play-off match in France next week.
Tomorrow (May 3), Japan will face Uzbekistan in the much-awaited Asian Cup final. Both teams have won the tournament in the past, so whichever team wins will become the first team in the tournament's history to win two consecutive championships.
