Following the Olympics and World Cup, South Korean football faces another 'major disaster' concern; Lee Min-seong's team draws the worst possible group in the Asian Games draw.

*This content was translated by AI.

This is truly the worst group draw. The Lee Min-seong squad, aiming for gold in men's football at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games, will face tough opponents from the group stage onward. Without thorough preparation, South Korean football could once again confront another 'major disaster' following the Olympics and World Cup.

The U23 Asian Games football team led by head coach Lee Min-seong was drawn into Group D alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar during the men's football draw held on the 23rd in Nagoya, Japan. South Korea was placed in Pot 1 (top seed) based on its performance at the AFC U23 Asian Cup held last January. Saudi Arabia and Qatar were teams from Pot 2 and Pot 3, respectively.

Fifteen teams are participating in this tournament. Groups A through C each consist of four teams, while Group D, where South Korea is placed, has only three teams. Compared to other groups that must play three group-stage matches with intervals of about three days, the two-match schedule for Group D offers a clear physical advantage. Moreover, unlike Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the same group, South Korea enjoys a one-week gap between its two matches. It will face Qatar on September 15 and Saudi Arabia on the 22nd in succession.

Given the short-term nature of the tournament, securing a clear physical advantage could be a significant asset. However, this applies only if the team reaches the knockout stage. Currently, it is uncertain whether Lee Min-seong's squad can even guarantee passage through the group stage against Saudi Arabia and Qatar. With only the top two teams from each group advancing to the round of 16, there is no confidence in securing second place. This is a bitter reality.

The trend since Lee Min-seong took charge speaks volumes. Since its launch in June last year, the Lee Min-seong squad has repeatedly failed to achieve results against Asian teams in friendly matches and other competitions. Even at the AFC U23 Asian Cup held last January, it finished only fourth. It lost to Uzbekistan and Japan, both two years younger, and suffered its first-ever defeat in this age category against Vietnam.

The same reasons led to intense calls for Lee Min-seong's dismissal just seven to eight months before the Asian Games. However, the Korea Football Association's Power Strengthening Committee ultimately decided to extend his contract only until this Asian Games, meaning he will lead the U23 national team and then step down. Nevertheless, since taking charge, the Lee Min-seong squad has suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat against Kyrgyzstan, ranked 106th in the latest FIFA rankings, despite having numerical superiority, bringing further humiliation. It has never received applause for impressive performances or results since its inception.

With such a difficult group draw added to the mix, concerns about Lee Min-seong's team can only intensify. In fact, South Korea is historically at a disadvantage against Qatar in U23 matches, with a record of one win, five draws, and two losses. The victory in the AFC U23 Championship semi-final held in Qatar in January 2016 was the 'only win' in eight head-to-head encounters. Against Saudi Arabia, the official U23 record stands at six wins and three draws, but Lee Min-seong's team suffered two consecutive defeats (0-4 and 0-2) during a friendly match away to Saudi Arabia last year. Although the Korea Football Association explained that both matches were friendlies, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and local media gave significant attention to each game. Notably, European-based players such as Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham) and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) participated in those matches.

If the team fails to finish in the top two of Group D and is eliminated, or even reaches the knockout stage but fails to win the championship, it would be a 'no-gold' disaster not seen in 16 years. Considering that most teams place little emphasis on the Asian Games except for South Korea, where military service benefits are at stake, and some countries even send U21 teams two years younger without wildcards, such an outcome would be shocking. Given that most players may miss out on military service benefits and face blocked pathways to overseas opportunities, this would become a 'major disaster' for South Korean football as well.

Even more regrettable is the fact that recent trends surrounding South Korean football suggest it is by no means unlikely that concerns about Lee Min-seong's team will materialize. For instance, the U23 national team led by former coach Hwang Sun-hong was eliminated in the 2024 Paris Olympics Asian qualifiers, facing a disaster of 'no Olympic qualification in 40 years.' Recently, Hong Myung-bo's team suffered another tragedy in the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America qualifiers, where despite having historically strong squad strength and an ideal group draw—and even with expanded participation making third-place advancement to the round of 32 highly probable—it was eliminated early, adding yet another disaster to South Korean football history. In recent major tournaments, what was once feared as unlikely has become reality.

To overturn the intense criticism and break the streak of disasters affecting South Korean football as a whole, proper preparation in the remaining time is urgently needed. With the final roster already announced, Lee Min-seong's team will conduct pre-camp training domestically in early September before departing for Japan, the host nation. Some overseas-based players are expected to join locally due to their club schedules. Shortly after the draw, head coach Lee Min-seong stated through the Korea Football Association: "Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have proven their competitiveness on the Asian stage. However, to achieve good results in this tournament, we must be able to defeat any opponent. We will do our utmost to prepare well from the group stage onward to deliver strong performances and results."

- Goalkeepers: Kim Min-seung (Paju Frontiers FC), Kim Jun-hong (Suwon Samsung), Lee Seung-hwan (Chungbuk Cheongju FC)

- Defenders: Kim Ji-soo (Brentford FC, England), Kang Min-jun (Pohang Steelers), Park Kyung-seop (Incheon United), Park Sung-hoon (FC Seoul), Bae Hyun-seo (Gyeongnam FC), Shin Min-ha (Gangwon FC), Choi Seok-hyun (Ulsan HD), Choi Woo-jin (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)

- Midfielders: Park Seung-soo (Newcastle United, England), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City FC, England), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC, Scotland), Eom Ji-seong (Swansea City, England), Yang Min-hyuk (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Lee Hyun-ju (FC Arouca, Portugal), Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Gi-hyeok* (Gangwon FC), Lee Seung-won (Gangwon FC), Hwang Do-yoon (FC Seoul)

- Forwards: Kim Myeong-jun (KRC Genk, Belgium), Lee Young-jun (Grasshopper Club, Switzerland)

* = Wildcard

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*This content was translated by AI.