[Official] 'Only Two Slots for Asia' LA Olympics Soccer Qualifiers to Be Held in Japan... South Korea's Kim Eun-jung-ho to Participate

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2028 AFC U23 Asian Cup, which also serves as the men's soccer Asian qualifiers for the 2028 LA Olympics, will be held in Japan.

On the 30th, the AFC officially announced that Japan has been confirmed as the host of the 2028 AFC U23 Asian Cup, having outcompeted Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and Uzbekistan.

The AFC stated, "All countries that expressed interest in hosting met the minimum requirements; however, considering world-class match and operational facilities, operational risks, regional arrangements for major Asian tournaments, and the principle of rotational hosting, Japan was selected as the host nation."

This marks the first time Japan has hosted this tournament since its inception in 2013 under the name AFC U22 Championship — a span covering eight editions. It is also the first time an East Asian country has hosted since the 2018 edition held in China, a gap of ten years.

Held every two years starting from the 2016 edition, this tournament served as the men's soccer Asian qualifiers for the Olympics when it coincided with Olympic years. Starting with the 2028 edition in Japan, it will be held every four years, aligned with the Olympic cycle rather than every two years.

In the 2024 Qatar tournament, which also served as qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hwang Sun-hong's team was eliminated in the quarterfinals, resulting in South Korea missing out on Olympic qualification for the first time in 40 years.

During the January tournament in Saudi Arabia, which did not serve as Olympic qualifiers, Lee Min-seong's team lost to Japan and Uzbekistan — both two years younger — and suffered their first-ever defeat against Vietnam at this age level, ultimately finishing fourth.

Only two spots for the 2028 LA Olympics main tournament are allocated to Asia. During the Paris Olympics, 16 teams participated in the men's soccer main tournament, with three slots assigned to Asia; however, for the LA Olympics, the number of teams advancing to the main tournament has been reduced to 12, reducing Asia's allocation to just two spots.

Consequently, only the two teams reaching the final can advance to the LA Olympics. South Korea last reached the final in the 2020 Thailand tournament (where they won). Since then, they have failed to reach the final in three consecutive editions, and this year marks their first appearance in the semifinals since.

Originally, Lee Min-seong was scheduled to lead the team; however, due to poor performance including a fourth-place finish at the January AFC U23 Asian Cup, his contract term was shortened. Kim Eun-jung-ho, recently appointed through an open recruitment process, will now take charge of this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.