Asian Cup uncertainty clouds Moreno's future as Korea coach
Korea head coach Robert Moreno looks on ahead of the friendly football match against Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 6. Yonhap
Robert Moreno has not had long in the job as Korea's interim national team coach but must have already realized that this is not a simple one. Moreno was appointed after the World Cup with a contract until the end of November with a possibility of extending it to the Asian Cup in January and beyond. What happens if there is no Asian Cup is anyone’s guess.
The former boss of Spain's national football team was given four games in September and October and then two more in November to prove to the Korea Football Association (KFA) that he is the man for the job. Those two fixtures had not been confirmed but it was expected that they would take place in the Middle East, probably Saudi Arabia. That is because the country is hosting the Asian Cup, starting on January 7 and it seemed like a good idea to spend some time in the region.
But then there have been attacks on Saudi airports and other targets by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group based in Yemen. There have been deaths and casualties and it caused the closure of Riyadh airport for the best part of a week. In such times when civilians are in danger, football is not a priority for any government. However, it has created uncertainty around the Asian Cup, which is less than three months away with Korea facing group games against Yemen, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
Nobody expects those games in November to go ahead now in the Middle East, and it leaves Korea suddenly scrambling to find some teams to play. For Moreno, these could be the last two games he is in charge for before the KFA decides if he deserves an extension. The first four produced mixed results but some encouraging performances: It started and ended with wins over Ecuador and Uzbekistan and, in between, was a defeat against Uruguay and a draw with Venezuela.
Moreno needs more time, but at the moment, there are serious concerns over the future of the Asian Cup. If the attacks continue, it is likely that the tournament will be postponed to the start of 2028 or moved to a different country. A decision does not have to be made just yet but the deadline is expected to be some time in the first half of November.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was asked about his thoughts when attending a J-League game on Sunday.
“Of course, we wonder how the tournament will unfold, but that is not our decision to make; whether the Asian Cup is held is for the Asian Football Confederation to decide,” he said. “Whether in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, when we operate internationally, the Japan Football Association will communicate with the relevant bodies and gather information so that we can travel and carry out our activities more safely. We will follow the decisions of the relevant authorities.”
Moreno would probably say something similar. He didn’t have much time to show that he deserves the job on a long-term basis. The six games he was expecting before the end of November could become four, but the big tournament in January that all of this is in preparation for may not even take place.