[Official] Hong Myung-bo's team drawn in the same group as UAE and Vietnam for next year's Asian Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korea national football team has been drawn into the same group as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and others in the group stage of the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup final tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia next year.

On the 10th (Korea time), following the 2027 AFC Asian Cup final tournament group draw held at the Salwa Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, South Korea was assigned to Group E alongside the UAE, Vietnam, and either Lebanon or Yemen, with the final tournament qualifier to be decided early next month.

The group draw proceeded by automatically assigning the host nation, Saudi Arabia, to Pot 1, then dividing the other qualified teams into four pots (Pots 1 to 4) with six teams each, based on their April FIFA rankings, with one team from each pot assigned to the same group.

Ranked 25th in Asia, third highest in the FIFA rankings, South Korea was assigned to Pot 1 and ended up in the same group as the UAE from Pot 2, Vietnam from Pot 3, and Lebanon/Yemen from Pot 4.

In the Group E FIFA rankings, the UAE is 68th, Vietnam is 99th, while Lebanon and Yemen are ranked 108th and 149th respectively, showing a significant gap compared to South Korea.

In head-to-head records, South Korea holds a clear advantage with 13 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses against the UAE, and 17 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses against Vietnam. Against Lebanon, the record stands at 12 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, and against Yemen, 2 wins, securing superiority in both cases.

This Asian Cup will kick off next January and run for about a month across eight venues in three cities in Saudi Arabia. A total of 24 teams will participate, divided into six groups of four teams each for the group stage. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams among the six groups, will advance to the round of 16 knockout stage to determine the champion.

South Korea has not won the Asian Cup since claiming titles in the inaugural 1956 tournament and the second edition in 1960. If they reach the summit next year, it would mark their first Asian Cup title in 67 years. At the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar in January 2024, the team, under German coach Jurgen Klinsmann, was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Unless major changes occur, Hong Myung-bo, who is currently leading the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in North America, is expected to continue as head coach through next year's Asian Cup. Previously, the Korea Football Association announced in July 2024 that Hong Myung-bo was appointed as the national team coach with a contract extending through the 2027 Asian Cup. If Coach Hong continues to lead the team, a tactical showdown between him and Kim Sang-sik, the coach of Vietnam, will unfold.

Meanwhile, the host nation Saudi Arabia was drawn into Group A along with Kuwait, Oman, and Palestine. Group B includes Uzbekistan, Bahrain, North Korea, and Jordan. Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and China are in Group C, while Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, and Singapore are in Group D. Japan was drawn into Group F alongside Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia.

- Group A: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine

- Group B: Uzbekistan, Bahrain, North Korea, Jordan

- Group C: Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, China

- Group D: Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, Singapore

- Group E: South Korea, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam, Lebanon/Yemen

- Group F: Japan, Qatar, Thailand, Indonesia

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*This content was translated by AI.