Indonesia's Road to U-23 Asian Cup Final Ends, Eyes Paris ...

Doha. Indonesia U-23 national football team failed to advance to the final of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Uzbekistan U-23 in the semifinal clash at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday. However, Indonesia still holds hopes of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics and will face Iraq U-23 in the third-place playoff.

Uzbekistan's two goals came from Khusayin Norchaev and an own goal by Pratama Arhan. Indonesia played with 10 men after Rizky Ridho was sent off by the referee in the 84th minute.

Indonesia found the net against Uzbekistan through a strike from defender Muhammad Ferarri. Ferarri managed to score in the 61st minute, but the goal was disallowed after striker Ramadhan Sananta was deemed offside following a VAR review.

"The disallowed goal affected our mentality. Especially since shortly after, Uzbekistan scored, taking the lead," said Ferarri in a post-match interview.

Uzbekistan managed to break the deadlock in the 68th minute. Substitute Khusayin Norchaev found the net after receiving a pass from Rakhmonaliev on the right side. Receiving the ball from the left, Norchaev struck with his left foot, leaving Ernando Ari stunned.

In the 84th minute, Indonesia lost defender Rizky Ridho, who received a red card for a rough tackle on Uzbekistan captain Jasurbek Jaloliddinov while clearing the ball.

Uzbekistan scored again in the 86th minute through an own goal by Pratama Arhan. The goal came from a free-kick by Jasurbek Jaloliddinov. The ball was blocked by Ernando Ari and then Khusanov headed the ball. Pratama Arhan attempted to clear the ball but ended up sending it into his own net, making the score 2-0 in favor of Uzbekistan.

Japan vs Iraq
Meanwhile, the Japan U-23 national team secured a spot in the final of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2024 after defeating Iraq U-23 2-0 in the semifinal match held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha in the early hours of Tuesday.

Japan U-23 will face Uzbekistan U-23 in the final, which will take place at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Friday at 10:30 p.m. Jakarta time.

Mao Hosoya and Ryotaro Araki scored for Japan in the first half.

On the other hand, Iraq U-23 will compete for the third-place position and a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics against the Indonesia U-23 national team on Thursday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.

Indonesia vs Iraq
Managed by Shin Tae-yong, the Indonesian team made history by reaching the semifinals of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the first time. 

Marselino Ferdinan and his teammates made history by being strong contenders such as Australia, Jordan, and South Korea. However, they were outclassed and outplayed by Uzbekistan, who had much more preparation time for the tournament.

The Young Garudas could emulate Uzbekistan in the next two years, especially since at least six players from the 2024 squad could play again in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2026, including Muhammad Ferarri, Ivar Jenner, Marselino Ferdinan, and Justin Hubner.

Indonesia vs Iraq also determines the last automatic ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. The fourth Olympic ticket will be contested in a playoff against the fourth-placed team in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, Guinea.

One good news for the match against Iraq is that Indonesia will be able to field their most consistent player in disrupting the opponent's defense, who was absent in the semifinal against Uzbekistan, striker Rafael Struick.

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