'Held out with just 10 players': South Korea's U-19 national team draws 0-0 against Kyrgyzstan, secures spot in the Asian Cup finals by topping Group A

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The South Korean under-19 (U-19) national football team, led by head coach Kim Jeong-soo, has successfully qualified for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals.

On the 6th (local time), the team recorded a 0-0 draw against host nation Kyrgyzstan in the final Group A qualifier match held at Dolon Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Although they found themselves at a numerical disadvantage due to Kwon Jun-seong's accumulation of yellow cards leading to a red card late in the first half, they finished the match without conceding a goal.

This qualifier Group A originally consisted of four nations but only three teams competed after the Philippines withdrew. South Korea secured the top spot in the group with one win and one draw (four points), having previously defeated Lebanon 3-2 in an overturned victory in their first match. Lebanon (one win, one loss; three points) finished second, while Kyrgyzstan (one draw, one loss; one point) ended third.

In this qualifying round involving a total of 30 teams divided into eight groups, the top team from each of the eight groups, the seven best second-place teams, and the host nation China will advance to the finals, totaling 16 countries.

The finals will be held in China next March, with the top four teams in the tournament earning qualification spots for the 2028 FIFA U-20 World Cup, co-hosted by Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original