Group B with China and UAE in the final qualifying round for the Paris Olympics

 The people to meet have been decided. To get to the Paris Olympics, you have to overcome it again.

The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) held the 2024 AFC U-23 (Under 23) Asian Cup group draw held at the Wyndham Doha Hotel in Doha, Qatar on the 23rd (Korean time). As a result of the group draw, Korea was placed in Group B.

In this group draw, the host country, Qatar, and the teams that placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the previous tournament, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Japan, were assigned to Pot 1. Korea was in Port 2 along with Australia, Iraq, and Vietnam.

After the group draw, Korea's opponents were decided. Korea belonged to Group B. It competes with Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The results of this Asian Cup are linked to qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics to be held next summer. This is because it is a competition that also serves as the final Asian qualifier for the Paris Olympics. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams in the Asian Cup advance directly to the Paris Olympics. The 4th place team will play an intercontinental playoff against a team belonging to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for a ticket to the Paris Olympics.

In Africa, all teams that will participate in the Paris Olympics have been selected. Morocco won the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, with Egypt and Mali taking second and third places, respectively. These three teams will go directly to the Paris Olympics. 4th place is Guinea. The fourth-place team in the Asian Cup will play Guinea in an intercontinental playoff.

After the group draw, coach Hwang Seon-hong, who leads the Korean national team, said, "I thought there was no easy team among the teams that made it to the round of 16, but we were placed in a relatively difficult group. These are opponents who cannot let down their guard. Although the opponents are quite strong, we are also competitive, so we will do our best. “I will do my best to prepare and work hard to achieve good results,” he said.

 Regarding the Group A teams that will meet in the quarterfinals, "Australia, Qatar, and Jordan are all traditional powerhouses. Qatar in particular has the home team advantage. The teams that will advance from the quarterfinals have advanced. From the tournament, I think every game is a final. One game, one game goal. “If we move forward, we will be able to achieve what we want,” he said.

The goal is to place in the top three and win a ticket to the Olympics for the 10th consecutive time. Coach Hwang Seon-hong said, "Of course, the goal of the competition is to advance to the 10th consecutive Olympics. It will be a difficult process, but I believe in the players' ability. I will work with these athletes to achieve the goal of 10 consecutive Olympics." It's a condition. I'm worried about how effectively I can use it. Although it's short, I'll do my best to create a competitive and good team. I know what the fans want. I'll do my best and make it to the finals for the 10th consecutive Olympics. Thank you for your support. "he said.

Korea is full of confidence. He has participated in nine consecutive Olympic Games and holds the world record in this category. In addition, the national team led by coach Hwang Seon-hong won a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last October. The team they faced in the finals at that time was Japan. They beat Japan 2-1 and climbed to the top of Asia.

However, in the U-23 Asian Cup held last year, they were defeated 0-3 by Japan in the quarterfinals. At the time, Lee Kang-in led the national team, but could not prevent the defeat.

Recently, Korea's momentum has soared. Following the Asian Games gold medal, on the 21st, they defeated France, who are considered a favorite to win the Paris Olympics, 3-0.

Korea, which drew 0-0 with Ligue 1 Le Havre AC on the 17th in the first match of its training camp in France, defeated France, considered the best in its age group and a candidate to win the Paris Olympics, by three goals in the second match.

Coach Hwang Seon-hong formed the starting lineup on this day with Jeon Byeong-gwan, Lee Kang-hee, Hwang Jae-won, Kang Seong-jin, Jo Hyun-taek, Jo Wi-je, Ahn Jae-jun, Myung-gwan Seo, Song-hoon Shin, Um Ji-seong and Min Kyung-hyeon. Asian Games gold medalists Jae-won Hwang and Jae-jun Ahn were selected as starters. All three overseas players were on the bench, including Kim Ji-soo of Brentford, Minnesota's Jeong Sang-bin, and Celtic's Kwon Hyeok-gyu.

France also faced Korea with its main players. Mathis Tell, who plays for Bayern Munich, a prestigious team in the German Bundesliga, came to the forefront with Stade Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuando. Most of the starting players, including Magnes Aclioche (AS Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), and Chimuanya Ugochukwu (Stade Rennes), were in a lineup that overwhelmed Korean players in terms of their name value.

As expected, France, which was far ahead in terms of power, launched an onslaught against Korea, backed by the support of its home fans. However, goalkeeper Shin Song-hoon defended the goal with a save, and Calimiento's shot hit the post, ending the first half with Korea ending 0-0.

Korea, which lowered its defensive line and withstood France's onslaught in the first 45 minutes, scored the first goal with a set piece in the 70th minute of the second half. Jeong Sang-bin's right-footed shot went wide and hit the French net.

After the first goal, France faltered and scored an additional goal 9 minutes later. This time, Jeong Sang-bin came forward as the solution. He easily finished a ground ball cross from the left side with his right foot. In the process of receiving the ball, a momentary movement past the opponent's defense led to a goal. Then, they secured the victory in extra time in the second half. Hong Yun-sang finished the ball from a long distance after the French defense failed to clear it properly. French soccer legend coach Thierry Henry turned his back on the team at the moment of conceding the third goal.

This is the first time in history that the Korean under-23 national team competing in the Olympics has defeated France. In the previous three games, there were only 1 draw and 2 losses.

France was shocked. After the game, French soccer media Foot Mercato covered the 0-3 defeat against Korea and commented, "The French national team led by coach Thierry Henry was humiliated by Korea at home."

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