The under-23 (U-23) national football team, cruising toward their fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal, is set to face China for a spot in the finals.

Led by head coach Lee Min-sung, the U-23 squad will play their semifinal match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's football tournament against China at 3:00 p.m. on the 30th at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan.

Following their triumphs at the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, and 2022 Hangzhou (held in 2023) tournaments, the national team is aiming for a fourth straight Asian Games title. Having built a roster featuring a large number of Europe-based players, they have maintained a perfect winning streak so far and smoothly advanced to the semifinals.

They topped Group D by defeating Qatar 4-1 and Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the group stage, and secured their spot in the semifinals by overpowering Vietnam 4-0 in the quarterfinals on the 25th.

Thanks to finishing first in their group with consecutive victories, they avoided early clashes with traditional powerhouses like Japan and Uzbekistan, and now face China, who is considered a relatively favorable opponent among the semifinalists.

However, China cannot be taken lightly.

In this age group, South Korea is on a two-match losing streak against China.

The U-22 team, competing without a permanent head coach in March of last year, lost 0-1 at the Yancheng International Friendly Tournament, and suffered a 0-2 defeat at the China Panda Cup in November of last year following the appointment of head coach Lee Min-sung.

For head coach Lee, this upcoming match against China also presents an opportunity for revenge to advance to the final.

Coach Lee watched the quarterfinal match between China and Thailand from the stands on the 26th to devise a winning strategy.

China finished top of Group B in the group stage of this tournament with one win and two draws.

They beat North Korea 2-1 and played to 0-0 draws against Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In the quarterfinals, they defeated Thailand 3-0, reaching the semifinals for the first time since the Asian Games men's football switched to an U-23 age limit format in the 2002 tournament.

Born in 1997, wildcard (players over 23) striker Zhang Yuning leads the Chinese team with two goals.


For our national team, expectations are high for players leading the attack, such as Umji (Swansea City) and Kim Myung-jun (Genk), who share the team lead with three goals each, as well as Lee Young-jun (Grasshoppers), who joined the squad on the 21st due to his club's circumstances and exploded for a multi-goal performance in the quarterfinals on the 25th.

The women's national football team's journey continues as they return to the semifinals for the first time in 8 years.

The women's national team, commanded by head coach Shin Sang-woo, will play their semifinal match against Japan starting at 7:30 p.m. on the 29th at Shioda Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Dreaming of their first-ever Asian Games women's football final, the national team has continued their strong performance by overwhelmingly defeating Myanmar (5-0) and Bangladesh (8-0) in the group stage, alongside a hard-fought 1-1 draw against formidable North Korea.


Their next opponent, Japan, is a championship favorite that achieved consecutive titles at the Jakarta and Hangzhou tournaments.

In historical head-to-head matchups between the women's national teams, South Korea trails significantly with 4 wins, 12 draws, and 20 losses, and has not secured a victory since the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship match in August 2015 (2-1).

Japan extended their winning streak to three games in this tournament by overwhelmingly defeating Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and Thailand in the group stage with a staggering 20 goals scored and zero conceded, before beating the Philippines 4-0 in the quarterfinals.

Saori Takarada, currently the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals, and Jiina Kamiya, who has netted 5 goals, are players our team must watch out for.

Our national team is also expected to put up a resilient fight, featuring well-rounded performances from midfielder Kim Min-ji (Seoul City Hall) with 5 goals, Choi Yuri with 4 goals, and rising star Yoon Soo-jung (Suwon FC Women) with 3 goals.

Prior to the South Korea-Japan match on the 29th, the semifinal between North Korea and China will take place at the same stadium at 3:00 p.m.

If both South Korea and North Korea win their respective semifinals, an inter-Korean showdown will unfold once again in the final on the 2nd.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)