Saudi Arabia from the Middle East has been selected as the opponent for the second leg of the ‘Klinsmann’s Lake’ September trip to Europe.
An official from the Korea Football Association said, “We are discussing an evaluation match with Saudi Arabia as the second opponent for the September A match.”
Initially, South Korea, led by coach Jürgen Klinsmann, had planned to play Wales and Mexico in their two September A matches in England.
While the first exhibition match against Wales was confirmed for next month’s 8th of September at Cardiff Stadium in Wales, the Mexico match fell through during negotiations. Mexico was scheduled to play two games against South Korea and Saudi Arabia in September, but both were canceled.
Last month, the Mexican soccer federation informed us that it was difficult to organize the trial due to the time of the game.
After the sudden cancellation of the Mexico match, the KFA looked for a second A-match opponent, but it was difficult to find a European team during the September A-match period, as the European Football Championship 2024 (Euro 2024) qualifiers were taking place.
As a result, the KFA has been discussing the possibility of holding trials in Saudi Arabia and England after the Mexico match was canceled in September.
The Saudi game is likely to take place on the 12th of next month. 일본야동 The time and place are still to be determined.
Saudi Arabia, ranked 53rd in the FIFA rankings, is considered a step below South Korea (28th). South Korea’s all-time head-to-head record with the A team is 4 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses. The most recent match was a 0-0 draw in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2018.
Lee Kang-in hits a shot during the Hana Bank Invitational South Korea vs. Peru soccer exhibition match at Busan Asiadju Stadium in Yeonje-gu, Busan, South Korea, on Saturday afternoon. The ‘Cleansman’ will challenge for its first victory after setting sail against Peru.
Saudi Arabia are a powerhouse in the Middle East, and there is no shortage of opponents for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar next January. The Saudis made waves at last year’s World Cup in Qatar when they upset Argentina in Group C, but ultimately crashed out of the group stage with a 1-2 loss.
South Korea will compete against Jordan, Bahrain, and Malaysia in Group E at the Asian Cup. Saudi Arabia will face Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman in Group F.
Meanwhile, Klinsmann’s men will play two exhibition matches in Korea during the October A-match period (Oct. 9-17) before beginning the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America in November.
They will face the winners of the first round of China, Thailand, and Singapore-Guam in the second round.
South Korea is pushing to play Vietnam in the October A match. 한국야동 Klinsmann is reportedly looking for a hypothetical opponent to break through their dense defense.