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Iraq secure Olympic men's football berth

Xinhua, January 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iraq secured the penultimate berth at this year's Olympic men's football tournament on Friday by beating Qatar 2-1 in the third-place playoff at the Asian under-23 championship in Doha.

The hosts took the lead via Ahmed Alaa's first-half opener but Mohannad Abdulraheem equalized four minutes from time before Ayman Hussein headed in an extra-time winner.

Iraq join Japan and South Korea, who will meet in Saturday's final, as Asia's qualifiers in Rio. It will be the Middle Eastern nation's first appearance at an Olympic men's football tournament since 2004.

The last of the 16 Olympic berths will be contested between Colombia and the USA in their playoff over two legs on March 25 and 29.

Earlier this week New Zealand secured a spot in the women's tournament after Papua New Guinea forfeited the second leg of the teams' qualifying tie, having lost the first match 7-1 at home. Endit