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

As a result, Indonesia will have to face Guinea from Africa in a playoff match to secure a ticket to the 2024 Olympics, on May 9, in Paris.

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

Indonesia's coach, Shin Tae-yong (STY), identified squad depth as a key factor in the defeat against Iraq.

"Iraq played quite well in the second half. We saw that we were not solid in every individual performance," Shin said in 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," added 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 Indonesia's captain, Justin Hubner, who failed to tightly mark the top scorer of his team in the cup.

Jasim moved into Indonesia's box without much challenge and took a shot that Ernando Ari failed to block. The goal was Jasim's fourth in the competition.

Both teams had to endure two 15-minute periods of extra time after the game ended 1-1 at the end of the second half.

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

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

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

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