ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani received on Sunday, the delegation of Iraq's Olympic football team after they secured qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Iraq won against Indonesia in a match on Thursday. This victory means they are going to the Paris Olympics. The match was both the Under 23 Asian Cup third-place playoff and a qualifier for the Olympics.

Following the match, Sudani had instructed the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmed al-Mubarqa on Saturday, to receive them at Baghdad Airport and confirmed that he would meet them on Sunday, and honor them for this achievement.

High tensions marked the bronze medal match of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, where the final Olympic quota hung in the balance. In a nail-biting clash at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Iraq secured their spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by edging out Indonesia with two goals to one in extra time on Thursday.

With nearly 10,000 spectators on the edge of their seats, the match remained deadlocked with each team scoring one goal after 90 minutes of regular time, pushing the game into extra time.

It was not until the 27th minute of extra time that Iraq's Ali Jassem broke the tie, sealing victory for his team.

Jassem’s goal also crowned him the top scorer of the tournament, with an impressive tally of four goals across six matches.

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

After years of struggling in football, the Iraqi national team rose back to the spotlight when they won the 25th Arab Gulf Cup in 2023.

The team was considered favorites to win the Asia Cup later in the year, however they were unexpectedly knocked out by Jordan.