[Official] Lee Min-seong's squad on a roll; Asian Games semifinal opponent is 'China' [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's under-23 (U23) national football team, which is challenging for the men's football gold medal at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games, has been confirmed to face China in the semifinals.

China advanced to the semifinals by defeating Thailand 3-0 in the quarterfinals held on the 26th at Toyota Stadium in Japan.

As a result, according to the tournament bracket, South Korea's decisive match against China, who had crushed Vietnam 4-0 the previous day, will take place at Osaka Nagai Stadium.

This marks the first time since the tournament was changed to an U23 format in 2002 that Chinese football has reached the Asian Games quarterfinals.

In head-to-head matches between South Korea and China's U23 national teams, South Korea leads with 13 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses.

However, South Korea is currently in a disadvantageous position after suffering two consecutive defeats: 0-1 at the Yancheng International Friendly Tournament in March last year and 0-2 at China's Panda Cup in November of that year.

At the time of the 0-2 defeat in the Panda Cup, Lee Min-seong was the head coach. However, compared to the lineup then, the current squad has undergone significant changes.

In the other semifinal matchup, Uzbekistan will face the winner of the Japan-North Korea match. The final is scheduled for the 3rd of next month. South Korea aims for a fourth consecutive title since the 2014 Incheon Games.

Meanwhile, on this day, Lee Min-seong's squad divided into recovery and training groups to conduct their sessions. Head coach Lee Min-seong watched the China-Thailand match live at the venue.

The national team will move to Osaka, the host city of the semifinals, on the 27th, followed by a day of rest without training. They are scheduled to prepare for the China match with training sessions on the 28th and 29th before competing in the semifinals on the 30th.

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*This content was translated by AI.