Shin Tae-yong’s Indonesia will face Uzbekistan in the semifinals.
Uzbekistan defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup 2024 at the Khalifa International Stadium 홀덤사이트 in Al Rayyan, Qatar on Sunday (July 27).
Uzbekistan, who had to settle for runner-up honors to the Saudis in the last edition of the tournament, made amends. Husayn Norchayev scored in first-half stoppage time after a through ball, beating the goalkeeper. Uzbekistan, who had a numerical advantage after a player was sent off in the 25th minute of the second half, drove a wedge with a goal from Umarali Rakhmonaliyev in the 39th minute.
With Uzbekistan wrapping up the quarterfinals, the tournament’s four quarterfinal matchups are complete. Indonesia and Uzbekistan, who edged out Hwang Sun-Hong on penalty kicks, will meet, while Japan and Iraq will battle for a spot in the final.
Indonesia will take on Uzbekistan at 11 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha. Japan and Iraq will face off at 2:30 a.m. on the 30th at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan.
The tournament serves as the Asian qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The first through third places will go directly to the Olympic Games, while the fourth place team will play Guinea, the fourth-ranked African qualifier, in a playoff. This means that the top four teams are guaranteed at least a playoff spot and need just one more win to qualify for Paris.
Shin Tae-yong’s Indonesia will be looking to make history. This is Indonesia’s first appearance at the U-23 Asian Cup, and under Shin’s leadership, they have advanced beyond the quarterfinals to the last four. With one more step forward, they will qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in 68 years since Melbourne 1956.