"We are in a relatively difficult group, and we are all opponents who cannot let down their guard. Our goal is, of course, to participate in the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time. There will be many difficult processes, but we will believe in the players' abilities and do our best to ensure that we can advance to the finals together. “I will do my best” (Coach Hwang Seon-hong)
The Korean soccer Olympic team led by coach Hwang Seon-hong faced Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the group stage of the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup, the final qualifier for the Paris Olympics. Compete.
As a result of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup group draw held at the Wyndham Doha Hotel in Doha, Qatar on the 23rd (Korean time), Korea was placed in Group B with these teams.
The host nation, Qatar, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams in the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Japan, were assigned to Pot 1.
Korea, assigned to Pot 2 along with Australia, Iraq, and Vietnam, was placed in Group B, which included the first seed team Japan, and would play against Korea and Japan starting from the group stage.
Hwang Seon-hong also faced Japan in the finals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in September and October. At that time, they defeated Japan 2-1 and became the final winner.
As for Hwang Seon-hong, he took the opportunity to repay the pain from two years ago starting from the group stage.
In the quarterfinals of last year's U-23 Asian Cup, where Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who emerged as the core of the Korean soccer attack, appeared, Hwang Seon-hong was defeated 0-3 by Japan.