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Young Garuda misses last chance to qualify for Paris Olympics
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Guinea national team players (center) celebrate their victory at the end of their pre-Olympic play-off match against Indonesia on May 9, 2024, in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France. The teams were competing for the final undecided spot in the men's soccer tournament at this year’s Paris Olympic Games. (AFP/Miguel Medina)
T
he Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has expressed its appreciation for the national under-23 (U-23) soccer team’s effort and performance in recent weeks despite a loss to Guinea on Thursday that dashed the squad’s last hope of qualifying for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Playing behind closed doors in Paris on Thursday, the West African team defeated Indonesia by one goal, scored by midfielder Ilaix Moriba via the penalty spot in the 29th minute. The referee awarded the penalty after Indonesian winger Witan Sulaeman fouled Algassime Bah.
With the victory, Guinea won the last undecided spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics men’s soccer tournament, joining Group A alongside host France, the United States and New Zealand.
Young Garuda played without defender and captain Rizky Ridho, who was shown a red card during last week’s AFC U-23 Asian Cup third-place playoff against Iraq in Qatar. The team was also without defenders Justin Hubner, who was not released by his current club Cerezo Osaka, and Elkan Baggot.
The Indonesian team made some promising attacks in the match against Guinea but failed to convert chances into goals. In the last minute of the playoff, the left defender launched an aggressive throw-in deep into Guinea’s penalty area, in the hope of converting it into an equalizer. But Guinea goalkeeper Soumaila Sylla managed to get his hands on the ball.
During the Thursday match, the referee gave a red card to national team manager Shin Tae-yong after he protested the official’s decision to award a second penalty shot to Guinea in the 75th minute. Bah ended up missing the goal with a low shot that hit the post.
The next chance for Indonesia’s national soccer team to qualify for the Olympics will be for the 2026 Summer Games in Milan. Indonesia’s first and, so far, only appearance at an Olympics soccer tournament took place in 1959.
