Asian Cup produces Korean reunion of sorts

South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann attends the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha, May 11. / AFP-Yonhap

By John Duerden

South Korea actually wanted to host the 2023 Asian Cup and the Korea Football Association was less than happy when Qatar got the nod, which means that the Taeguk Warriors will return to the Middle East next January when the tournament starts. The games may not be on home soil but thanks to the draw that was made on Thursday, there will, however, be a soccer field in the Middle East with a strong Korean flavor.

As well as Bahrain and Jordan in Group E, there is Malaysia, a team with a South Korean coach. Kim Pan-gon has done a good job in Kuala Lumpur and also has experience in Hong Kong. The 54-year-old would love nothing more than to shock his home nation at the Asian Cup.

“We will try our best to get into the final stages,” Kim said. “It's a tough group with one of the best teams being Korea Republic. It will be a big challenge for us but we want to make the Malaysian people proud.”

He has a chance as the top two teams from each of the six groups of four and the best four third-placed finishers will progress to the Round of 16. It means that there is little chance of Korea being one of the eight to fall at the first hurdle. The ambition is to win the tournament for the first time since 1960, a wait that has been far too long. “The players are all very excited and we are a strong team,” said Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann, appointed in February. “Our hope is that after a long, long time of not winning, we win the Asian Cup.”

For the German, who won the 1990 World Cup as a player and coached the United States to the 2013 CONCACAF title, it is a new and different challenge.

“It's very exciting as in Malaysia we find a team that has a Korean coach. With Bahrain and Jordan, I need to do my homework and become familiar with their team, players and approach. So it's a huge learning curve for me in the next couple of months but it is a very exciting one.”

As a group, it is not the most exciting. A rare opportunity to face Malaysia in a tournament ― the last time the Tigers made the Asian Cup was as a co-host back in 2007, and it will be an interesting match-up, though one that Korea will be expected to win.

Bahrain is more familiar and provided the opposition at the 2019 Asian Cup. Then Korea won a tight game 1-0. The Reds are usually well-organized and difficult to beat. Jordan is a similar opponent. None of the games will be easy but anything less than a first-place finish will be regarded as a failure.

It would also likely be costly, as coming second or third would probably result in a tough second-round match. Finishing first should bring a more comfortable Round of 16 opponent. Any team that has an ambition of lifting the trophy will have to face the likes of Japan, Australia and Iran at some point but it is better to take them on later rather than sooner.