The AFC Asian Cup Organizing Committee announced the detailed schedule of the tournament on the 21st, including the time of the group stage. The national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, will play its first Group E match against Bahrain at 8:30 p.m. Korean time on January 15 next year at Jasim Bin Hamad Stadium. He will then face Jordan at Altumama Stadium on January 20 at the same time, and will face Malaysia led by head coach Kim Pan-gon at Alzanup Stadium on January 25.
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup was originally scheduled to be held in China in July, but the timing was postponed to January-February 2024 as the venue was changed to Qatar. Twenty-four countries will participate in the competition, which will be held from January 12 to February 10 next year, and will be divided into six groups for the group stage. The top four teams with good performance among the 12 countries in the first and second place and the third place in the group will advance to the round of 16 to determine the winner through the tournament. 스포츠토토
If it ranks first in Group E, its opponent in the round of 16 is the second place in Group D, where Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, and Vietnam are tied. In the second place in the group, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman will face the first place in Group F. Under Klinsmann’s leadership, South Korea will try to win the championship for the first time in 63 years since 1960. The opening and final of the tournament will be held at Lusail Stadium, where Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), the “God of Soccer,” led Argentina to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
This stadium is the venue for the final match between Argentina and France. Argentina won the championship for the first time in 36 years after a penalty shoot-out after being unable to decide the game with 3-3 overtime in the first and second half. Messi, who scored multiple goals, completed the “myth” by lifting the Golden Ball trophy given to the best player here.
Originally, the organizing committee tried to hold the opening and final matches at Albyte Stadium in Alcor, not at Roussail Stadium. The Albyte Stadium, which accommodates 68,000 people, was the venue for the opening match of the World Cup, Qatar-Ecuador, and the more symbolic Lusail Stadium was on the list of new Asian Cup stadiums.
In addition, the Asian Cup will be held at nine stadiums, including six World Cup matches, including Albyte, Alzanup, Altumama, Ahmad bin Ali, Education City, and Khalifa International Stadium, as well as Jasim bin Hamad and Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium used by Qatar professional football teams.