South Korea Break China Hearts to Reach Asian Games Football Final
- On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, South Korea defeated China 2-1 to reach a record fourth successive Asian Games final at Nagai Stadium in Osaka.
- China bowed out of their first Games semi-finals in 28 years with some regret, after an Asian Cup run in January also ended without gold.
- Stoke City attacker Bae Jun-ho scored the 82nd-minute winner, while Lee Young-jun headed in a 33-minute corner to cancel out China forward Wang Yudong's opening strike.
- The defending champions will bid for an unprecedented fourth straight gold medal in Saturday's final at Toyota stadium against the winner of Japan and Uzbekistan.
- Winning the Asian Games gold provides an added bonus for the players, as champions earn an exemption from South Korea's compulsory military service for adult males.
26 Articles
26 Articles
South Korea U23 has qualified for the final of the Asian Games football tournament, after defeating China 2-1 in the semi-finals. In the final, the Koreans will face Japan, while the match, in addition to the gold medal, has a special meaning for some of the players. A victory in the final would allow South Korean players to benefit from the special status for athletes who win gold medals at the Asian Games, avoiding regular military service. So…
S Koreans break Chinese hearts to reach soccer final
Reigning champions South Korea yesterday struck with eight minutes left to seal a 2-1 win over a “proud” China to reach the Asian Games men’s soccer final.The South Koreans are to face either hosts Japan or Uzbekistan for gold on Saturday as they pursue a fourth consecutive title.Uzbekistan and Japa
Radio France Internationale
South Korea break China hearts to reach Asian Games football final
The Koreans will face either hosts Japan or Uzbekistan for gold on Saturday as they pursue a fourth title in a row. Bae Jun-ho was their hero, ghosting in at the back post to head in a dramatic 82nd-minute winner at Nagai Stadium. Asian Games men's football consists of under-23 squads with three overage players. "We were expecting a challenging match but we persevered," said South Korea coach Lee Min-sung. "We conceded first to make it even hard…
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