Uzbekistan Defeat Indonesia to Keep Title Dream Alive

In a crucial semi-final at the AFC U23 Asian Cup, Uzbekistan beat Indonesia 2-0 at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. This victory has advanced Uzbekistan to their third AFC U23 Asian Cup™ final in four editions, keeping their title hopes alive.
This win also secured Uzbekistan's place in the upcoming Olympics. On the other hand, Indonesia will need to emerge victorious in the third-place playoff on Thursday if they wish to secure their ticket to Paris 2024.

Timur Kapadze, the Uzbekistan coach, substantially changed the team's lineup that had previously beaten Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals. He made six replacements to the team, one of which was match winner Khusain Norchaev. Despite these changes, Uzbekistan quickly found its footing, with midfield leader Abbosbek Fayzullaev leading the way.

Notable moments of the match included powerful shots from Abdurauf Buriev and further goal attempts by Uzbekistan striking duo, Alisher Odilov, and Ulugbek Khoshimov. Kapadze relied on substitutions Jasurbek Jaloliddinov and Norchaev in the second half.
In an unexpected turn of events, Indonesia looked to have broken the deadlock after Muhammad Ferrari jabbed the ball home. However, the goal was ruled out due to an offside in the buildup. Uzbekistan quickly responded by taking the lead after Muhammadkodir Hamraliev perfectly set up a goal scored by Norchaev.

Despite a red card for Indonesia's Rizky Ridho in the 84th minute, Uzbekistan doubled their lead when Abdukhodir Khusanov's header hit a post and bounced off Pratama Arhan into the net.