Jeddah: With a series of uninspired performances in the group stage behind them, South Korea will take on Australia in their first knockout match at the top Asian men's under-23 football tournament in Saudi Arabia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup are scheduled for the weekend. South Korea, having finished as the runner-up in Group C, will face Australia, the Group D winner, at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (local time), or 12:30 a.m. Sunday (South Korean time).
Coached by Lee Min-sung, South Korea squeezed into the quarterfinals after earning four points from one win, one draw, and one loss. They lost to Uzbekistan 2-0 in their final group stage match Tuesday but still grabbed the second seed when Lebanon, considered the weakest side in Group C, upset Iran 1-0.
Australia won Group D by beating Iraq 2-1 on Wednesday in their final match. China had been at the top of the group entering that day but they settled for a goalless draw against Thailand to drop to second place.
South Korea did not score in two of their three matches in the group stage. They began the tournament with a goalless draw against Iran and had to rally from a deficit twice to beat Lebanon 4-2. Then came the loss to Uzbekistan, after which coach Lee held himself accountable for his tactical errors.
South Korea and Australia played two friendlies here in June 2025. After a scoreless draw, Australia won the second match 2-0.
"Australia are a well-organized team with a great balance of offense and defense, and they can be really physical," Lee said in a message relayed by the Korea Football Association. "I will try to get the whole team ready so that we can represent the country the best we can."
The winner of this match will face either Japan or Jordan in the semifinals on Tuesday, also at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Vietnam, coached by South Korean tactician Kim Sang-sik, will face the United Arab Emirates after winning Group A with three consecutive victories. The other match will pit Uzbekistan against China.
This is the seventh edition of the U-23 Asian Cup and South Korea's lone title came in 2020.