South Korean footballers to face Saudi Arabia after 4-1 win over Qatar at Asian Games

SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korea will face Saudi Arabia next week in its second and final group-stage match in men's football at the Asian Games in Japan, after making a strong start for a fourth consecutive gold medal with a huge victory over Qatar on Tuesday.

The next match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 22 at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, where South Korea opened the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Qatar, powered by a first-half hat trick from Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City and another goal in the second half by Kim Myung-jun, who plays for Belgian second-tier club Jong Genk.

Eom scored all three of his goals in the first half, finding the net in the seventh, 20th and stoppage time, while Kim added another goal in the 66th minute. South Korea, however, conceded a late consolation goal to Qatar just minutes before the final whistle.

The victory put South Korea in a favorable position in its group, which consists of only three teams, unlike the other three groups with four teams each.

Of the 15 teams across four groups, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals.

If it wins against Saudi Arabia, South Korea would secure the top spot in the group, providing a more favorable route through the knockout stage. A second-place finish, however, could result in a difficult quarterfinal matchup depending on the results in the other groups, as South Korea could face a tough opponent such as Uzbekistan.

South Korea won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 2018 Games in Jakarta-Palembang and the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, which were held a year later due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now seeks an unprecedented fourth consecutive triumph in men's football.

AJP Takeaways

- South Korea will face Saudi Arabia on September 22, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya in its second and final group-stage match of the Asian Games men's football tournament.

- South Korea opened the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Qatar, with Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City scoring a first-half hat trick and Kim Myung-jun of Jong Genk adding another goal in the second half.

- A win over Saudi Arabia would secure South Korea first place in its three-team group, strengthening its path through the knockout stage as the team seeks a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal after titles in 2014, 2018 and 2022.