Jakarta. Head coach Shin Tae-Yong thought he was on a historic mission to bring the Indonesian football team to the Olympics for the first time until he realized recently that was not the case.

The Indonesian football team competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in its first and only participation in the world’s biggest multi-sports event so far.

"I apologize for not being aware that the Indonesian team had previously competed in the Olympics," Shin admitted during a recent press conference. "I just learned that Indonesia played in the Melbourne Olympics 68 years ago," the Korean added.

The Indonesian U-23 team will qualify for the Paris Olympics if they beat Iraq in the battle for third place in the U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar this evening.

Even if the Garuda team falls short against Iraq, they will have another opportunity in a playoff against Guinea on May 9.

The 1956 team earned their spot in Melbourne after Taiwan withdrew from qualifying in protest against a flag-related ban. Indonesia received automatic qualification to the second round, where they faced off against the eventual gold medalist, the Soviet Union. Among their opponents were football legends such as Sergei Salnikov, Anatoli Isayev, and goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

Under the guidance of Yugoslavian-born coach Antun Pogacnik, key players like Maulwi Saelan, Endang Witarsa, and Andi Ramang put up a strong performance, managing to secure a draw against the formidable Soviet Union. However, they faced a defeat against the same opponent in their subsequent match, with the Soviet Union emerging victorious with a score of 4-0.

It's worth noting that Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies, also participated in the 1938 World Cup in France, seven years before the country declared independence.