Indonesia went down 0-1 to Iraq in their opening match of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifying rounds at the Al Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Wednesday. Iraqi striker Younis Mahmood benefited from a blunder at the defense line to score the only goal in the game. The Iraqi side had another chance to score a goal when they were awarded a free kick but an offside player led a goal scored by Ali Adnan Kadhim to be annulled.
The Indonesian team tried to match the score, coming close when Vendry Mofu nearly cleared a goal at the 81st minute, but they fell short. Halim Mahfudz, the secretary of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said he appreciated the team's effort. “I respect and appreciate the national team's struggle,” said Halim, adding that they did a good job preventing the Iraqi side from scoring more than one goal, as quoted by Antaranews on Wednesday.
He said that the spirit of the team and its solidity showed that they had huge potential to develop in the future. There are five qualifying groups in the competition. The top two teams from each of the five qualifying groups and the best third-placed team will join defending champions Japan, hosts Australia, South Korea and North Korea in March 2015 for the next edition of the tournament.
source : the jakarta globe
source : the jakarta globe
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