Next April, U-23 AFC Asian Cup and Paris Olympics final qualifying round
Korean soccer, which is attempting to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in a row for the 10th time in the world, will compete in a group with Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup and final qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Korea, led by coach Hwang Seon-hong, was placed in Group B with Japan, China, and the UAE at the draw ceremony held in Doha, Qatar on the 23rd.
Korea, assigned to Pot 2, is in a group with Japan, which was assigned the top seed, and will face a fateful rivalry.
Korea had the painful experience of losing 0-3 to Japan in the quarterfinals of this tournament last year.
In this age group's head-to-head record, Korea is slightly ahead with 7 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses. The most recent match was the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last month, where Korea won 2-1.
They have a large lead over China with 12 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses, and they also have an advantage over the UAE, which will play with the advantage of being in the Middle East, with 7 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses.
This competition also serves as the final qualifier for next year's Paris Olympics, and the top three countries will be given the right to participate in the Olympics. The 4th place team can compete in the playoffs with a team from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to advance to the finals.
If Korea passes the final qualifying round, it will become the first country in the world to successfully advance to the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time.
The competition will be held in Qatar from April 15 to May 3 next year. A total of 16 countries will participate, divided into four groups of four each, and play in the group stage, with the top two countries from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
Seon-Hong Hwang recently entered full-fledged Olympic mode by participating in field training and evaluation matches in France.
Previously, Coach Hwang said, “There is no obvious victory or result. Preparation is needed. “It is a big deal to participate in the Olympic finals for the 10th consecutive time with our athletes,” he said. “There is not much time left, but we will do our best to prepare so that we can achieve good results even in the finals.”
Korea's best record ever was winning the 2020 tournament under coach Kim Hak-beom.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, led by coach Shin Tae-yong, competes with the host nation Qatar, Australia, and Jordan in Group A.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Thailand and Tajikistan will play in Group C, while Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kuwait and Malaysia will play in Group D. 19가이드03