South Korea began their bid to qualify for their first Asian Cup since 1960 with a 3-1 win over Bahrain, while fellow former champions Iraq beat Indonesia by the same scoreline on Monday.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in outscored Son Heung-min with two goals against Jurgen Klinsmann’s South Korea, one of the favorites to win in Qatar.
Lee has impressed for PSG since joining from Mallorca last summer, helping pull Klinsmann’s side out of trouble against a spirited Bahrain side who equalized early in the second half.
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The 22-year-old attacking midfielder showed off his magnificent skills by scoring two goals in the second half to secure the three points for the Korean team.
His Man of the Match performance was in stark contrast to captain and Tottenham Hotspur striker Son.
He made two glaring mistakes and suffered the humiliation of receiving a yellow card late on for diving inside Bahrain’s box.
Son is aiming for something “special” in his fourth Asian Cup, but warned his team that it will not be easy.
Host nation and reigning champions Qatar, Japan, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia have all been touted as strong contenders.
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“We have a great team and incredibly talented players, but it’s all about dedication,” Son said.
“We have an unbelievable team, but 64 years without a championship means that’s a long time.
“Our only goal is to make it special and have a special year with this team.”
Despite a slow start to his appointment last year, German legend Klinsmann has seen the South Korean team perform well at the right time.
In addition to the passionate Lee, they also have Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan, who has scored 10 goals in the Premier League this season.
South Korea will play Jordan next Saturday in Group E.
Iraq defeats Indonesia
Group D included powerful Japan, while Iraq suffered a tough battle against Indonesia, with the 3-1 winners also being eliminated.
Iraq, the 2007 Asian champions, defeated Indonesia 5-1 in Basra in November’s World Cup qualifiers, and coach Shin Tae-yong had vowed before the game that the team would come back better. broke.
A young Indonesian team, featuring eight starting players born this century, gave an even better explanation for themselves in front of a raucous crowd of 16,532.
But Iraq repeatedly threatened to get behind Indonesia’s last line, and they did just that in the 16th minute, when Mohanad Ali lunged and fired a shot into the top right corner.
Indonesia equalized after 20 minutes, with 19-year-old Marcelino Ferdinan scoring a powerful goal at the far post.
However, Osama Rashid’s goal gave Iraq a 2-1 lead at half-time, before Aymen Hussein saved the points with a close-range shot 15 minutes before the end.
Although he acknowledged that Iraq was better, Singh was furious afterward when he said Iraq had been offside in the second goal.
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“This is 100 percent offside. Such a wrong decision by the referee will tarnish the image of the Asian Cup,” he said.
Malaysia will play Jordan in their final match on Monday.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
First published: January 16, 2024, 00:25 IST
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