Photo : YONHAP News
South Korea’s under-23 squad, coached by Lee Min-sung, advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup with a win over Australia.
The team secured a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals on Sunday at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Baek Ga-on opened the scoring in the 21st minute and Shin Min-ha delivered the decisive goal in the 89th.
The national team, which had drawn criticism after a shaky group-stage performance, reached the semifinals for the first time in six years since winning the 2020 U-23 Asian Cup.
South Korea will face archrival Japan in the semifinal match scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Korea Standard Time.
Vietnam, led by South Korean head coach Kim Sang-sik, will meet China in the other semifinal at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, KST.