South Korea’s Hwang In-beom in action during the Group E match against Jordan, in this January 20 file photo. AFP
Doha, Qatar: Stage is set as Jordan and South Korea are ready to square off in the semi-final clash of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
The blockbuster showdown at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium today will pose huge challenges to both the teams, but the Taeguk Warriors will hold the upper hand when it comes to confidence, being no stranger to the semis, having featured in the last four stage on seven previous occasions.
As the East Asians side eyes the first Asian title since 1960, midfielder Hwang In-beom has voiced that the mounting pressure is only fueling their determination to rewrite history.
Hwang In-beom in action during the quarter-final match against Australia. AFP
“Pressure is always on, not just for this tournament. For a professional footballer, we have to live with pressure. But it’s a privilege to live with pressure, something only pro athletes go through,” Hwang said on the eve of the match.
“History is there to be changed,” he said.
The Jurgen Klinsmann-coached South Korea finished second behind Bahrain in the group stage, before surviving a shootout scare against Saudi Arabia and securing a last-gasp win over Australia to reach the semi-finals. Korea’s journey to the semi-finals has heightened expectations, and Hwang emphasized the team’s readiness to confront and overturn historical setbacks.
South Korea fell at the semi-final hurdle on three occasions, in 2000, 2007 and 2011, before advancing to the final in 2015, and In-beom is confident of their title hopes this time.
“If you say Korea can’t win this tournament because we conceded eight goals, we will prove you wrong. Yes, we conceded a lot of goals but don’t forget that we also scored a lot,” Hwang said.
“We have to trust the players, the staff and the coach. We have to trust the fans. We have to believe that we can do it. We want to enjoy the pressure and move closer to our goal,” he said.
Despite a formidable 44-place gap in the FIFA World Rankings between South Korea and Jordan, Hwang is aware of the challenges ahead.
“Tomorrow, some of the boys might make mistakes or an off day, then it’s my turn to help my teammates. Hopefully, this drama that we’re writing at the moment, we can have a happy ending,” the 27-year-old, one of Klinsmann’s prominent picks, said.
On the other side, Jordan’s remarkable journey to their first-ever AFC Asian Cup semi-final has already lit up the squad’s expectations.
Midfielder Ibrahim Saadeh, who is no stranger to conditions in Qatar, indicated that his team is extremely happy with what they have already achieved.
“We are extremely happy to be in the semi-finals,” said Saadeh, who plays for Al Khor in the Qatar Stars League.
“It is such a pride for us to have come this far. It does put some pressure on us but we’re well-trained and prepared to reach the final,” Saadeh said.
Ibrahim Saadeh
“Maybe many did not expect our team to reach this far but we believed that we can go far in this competition. Of course it puts pressure on us but we’re ready to rewrite history,” Saadeh said ahead of his team’s maiden appearance in the Asian Cup semi-finals. Jordan’s previous best was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2004 and 2011 editions, and today they will become the 16th team to reach semi-finals, the first new side at this stage since Australia and Uzbekistan did so in 2011.
Jordan have won three games in a single edition of AFC Asian Cup for the first time. Also, they have scored 10 goals in a single edition for the first time, one more than they did in the previous two tournaments combined (2015-2019 with seven games).
Saadeh is aware of the threat the star-studded South Korea may pose, but the 23-year-old is confident of overcoming the Taegeuk Warriors.
“It’s going to be a difficult game. The technical staff and the players are all ready to make it to the final. The coach, assistant coach and technical staff have all helped us review the previous games and identify our mistakes,” Saadeh said.
“As a player, of course I’m ready to play if chosen and for sure, I will give it my all to help Jordan get through to the next stage.”
