The U23 Asian Cup kicked off with an unexpected upset. As the champion of the 2013 Asian Cup, Iraq's national Olympic team lost to Thailand in the first round of the group stage. This is a slap in the face for the former Asian hegemon. What is even more puzzling is that Iraq's performance is not only humiliating, but even inferior to China's National Olympics. What's going on? Let's find out!
In the early morning of April 17, in the first round of Group B of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup group stage, the Iraq National Olympic Games will face the Thai National Olympic Games. As the winners of the 2013 Under-23 Asian Cup, Iraq have been considered the favourites in this group. It is even expected to make it directly to the Olympics. But to everyone's surprise, this once Asian powerhouse finally lost 0-2 to Southeast Asian powerhouse Thailand, which is undoubtedly a big upset in this tournament.
For this Iraqi national team, this defeat is indeed a great shame. As the champions of the Asian Cup, they only barely reached the quarterfinals in the last tournament, with a mediocre result. But in this tournament they are in the same group as Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Tajikistan. It is generally optimistic that it can join hands with Saudi Arabia to qualify. Who would have expected such a tragic defeat in the opening first game.
Judging from the data, Iraq has a clear advantage in terms of technology, tactics and overall strength. There are also many international players in the team who have participated in the Asian Cup finals. However, in the actual game, their performance was much lower than expected. In the first half, Iraq dominated the field. However, the deadlock was broken by Thailand in the 26th minute. In the 65th minute of the second half, Thailand added another goal to extend the score to 2-0. Faced with a two-goal deficit, Iraqi players had psychological problems at one point. One more person was sent off in the 71st minute, and the final defeat was 0-2.
The result of the competition was undoubtedly shocking. After all, Iraq was once the hegemon of the Asian Cup. Even if they only reached the quarterfinals in the last tournament. However, they are still regarded as one of the favourites for this tournament. Who would have thought they would be so unbearable in the first round of the group stage. It's not even as good as China's Olympic Games. This is undoubtedly a serious blow and not only confidence in the team itself. It is also a heavy blow to the football cause of the whole country.
For Thailand, the winner of this battle, this victory is very significant. Because this is the first time in many years that they have won against Iraq at the Under-23 level. Ended a winless run of the last four games against Iraq. What's more, this good start has allowed them to temporarily sit at the top of Group B with three points. has already occupied the initiative to qualify. The Southeast Asian powerhouse is in a group known as the "Group of Death". was able to defeat the former Asian champion. This is undoubtedly a very remarkable achievement.
What exactly caused such a fiasco in the Iraqi Olympic Games? First of all, we can't ignore the overall decline of this team in recent years. In the last tournament, they only reached the quarter-finals, and the results were mediocre. It shows that their strength is no longer what it used to be. And this time in the same group with Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Tajikistan. Iraq are widely seen as favourites to qualify alongside Saudi Arabia. This undoubtedly increases the pressure on them.
Although there are a number of international players in the Iraqi team who have participated in the Asian Cup finals. But they may no longer be able to perform at the level they were back then. In addition, they suffered a defeat in the first round of the group stage. It can be a serious blow to their confidence, causing the whole team to go into a slump.
We can't ignore the performance of the Thai team either. This Southeast Asian team is not a strong team in Asia, though. But at the Under-23 level, they have never given up and have been steadily improving their game. The two sides had previously met at the 2020 U23 Asian Cup. It was a 1-1 draw. This time, they were able to keep their cool under pressure from Iraq and finally get off to a good start, which is a testament to their progress.
Overall, the fiasco of Iraq's Olympic Games is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the former Asian hegemon. Their performance is not even as good as the Chinese Olympic Games. It's definitely going to be a big shock to their confidence. Thailand's victory in this campaign was remarkable, as they got off to a good start in this "Group of Death". It has occupied the initiative to qualify. This will undoubtedly greatly boost their morale and inject strong motivation into the subsequent competitions.
In the future, we will see whether the Iraqi Olympic Games can reverse the decline. Regain the glory of the past. And whether the Thai team can stand out in this group of death and go straight to the Paris Olympics is also full of expectations. Regardless of the outcome, this unexpected upset will undoubtedly bring a new pattern and focus to the entire Asian football scene.