[Official Announcement] South Korea National Football Team's November A-Match Schedule Revealed, 'Middle East Away Games' Confirmed... Two-Match Series Against Saudi Arabia and Qatar

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The schedule for the South Korea national football team's November A-matches has been finalized.

On the 22nd, the Korea Football Association officially announced that the national team will play two friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Doha, Qatar, utilizing the November International Football Federation (FIFA) A-match window.

Manager Roberto Moreno's Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) team will face Saudi Arabia (FIFA ranking 55th) on the 13th of next month, followed by a second match against Qatar (60th) on the 17th. Kick-off times are 11:30 p.m. for the Saudi Arabia match and 11:00 p.m. for the Qatar match, based on Korean time. Both matches will be held in Doha, Qatar, with specific venues such as the stadium to be confirmed later.

This November away trip serves as a preliminary test ahead of the main tournament of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia next January. The association stated that the national team will focus on enhancing local adaptability against strong Middle Eastern opponents and conducting a final check on tactical completeness and organizational cohesion.

Initially, the Football Association had pushed to hold a friendly match in Saudi Arabia, the host country of the main tournament, but changed the venue to Doha, Qatar, after comprehensively considering recent local political conditions and other factors. The national team plans to maximize its competitive feel by testing various positional combinations through this two-match series.

The overall head-to-head record against Saudi Arabia is 5 wins, 9 draws, and 5 losses in 19 matches, indicating a closely contested rivalry. The most recent meeting was the Round of 16 match at the January 2024 Qatar Asian Cup, where South Korea drew 1-1 after extra time and advanced to the quarterfinals via a penalty shootout.

Against Qatar, South Korea holds a relative advantage with a record of 6 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses in 11 matches. In the most recent encounter, an away friendly match in Austria in November 2020, South Korea secured a 2-1 victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original