South Korea’s midfielder Son Heung-min (centre) warms up along with his teammates throughout a coaching session at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on November 13, 2023, forward of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between South Korea and Singapore.
| Picture Credit score: AFP
Son Heung-min will be a part of South Korea for its opening recreation in World Cup qualifying, with head coach Jurgen Klinsmann aiming to start out the second stage of Asian competitors with a press release win.
The Koreans and Asia’s 5 different 2022 World Cup members begin their qualification campaigns to look on the 2026 event on Thursday.
Not one of the continental heavyweights are taking this stage frivolously, with European-based stars comparable to Son, Kaoru Mitoma and Mehdi Taremi picked for his or her nationwide groups to tackle a number of the continent’s lower-ranked rivals.
South Korea kicks off in opposition to Singapore in Seoul with Tottenham star Son and Wolves ahead Hwang Hee-chan main the assault. Each have been in glorious type within the Premier League.
Klinsmann is able to play his strongest staff, regardless of the actual fact Singapore is ranked No. 155, as he begins a bid for South Korea to qualify for an eleventh successive World Cup.
“You need to take them very significantly,” Klinsmann, who was appointed in February, advised a information convention in Seoul. “Your thoughts must be in the precise place. We now have to be very sharp from the primary second.”
That is an strategy that the likes of Japan, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are additionally taking.
The highest two from every of the 9 four-team teams will progress to the following stage of Asian qualifying, the place they will compete for one of many eight automated spots on the World Cup – double the continental quota obtainable in 2022.
Klinsmann dismissed the concept this makes the highway to the 2026 World Cup within the U.S., Mexico and Canada any simpler.
“All of the groups that struggle for a spot within the World Cup will struggle even tougher now,” the previous U.S. coach stated. “It should nonetheless be very troublesome.”
Japan has appeared at each World Cup since 1998 and, now ranked No. 18, is Asia’s type staff with six wins from its final six video games, a run that features a 4-1 win in Germany and a 4-2 win over Turkey.
Head coach Hajime Moriyasu desires to make use of that momentum to get off to an ideal begin in Osaka in opposition to Myanmar, ranked 140 locations beneath at 158th, after which in opposition to Syria 5 days in a while impartial turf in Jeddah.
“We need to take six factors from these two video games,” Moriyasu, voted Asia’s males’s coach of the yr, stated. “We need to win and we need to give a efficiency that may permit us to construct for the longer term.”
Australia additionally reached the knockout stage on the 2022 World Cup, pushing eventual champion Argentina all the best way within the second spherical. Within the final two months, the Socceroos drew 2-2 with Mexico, misplaced 1-0 to England in London and beat New Zealand 2-0.
“We’ve had the chance to check ourselves in opposition to a few of world soccer’s finest within the final six months, and our performances have proven simply how efficient we may be, studying loads alongside the best way,” coach Graham Arnold stated.
Arnold will lead the Socceroos for a document 59th time as coach in opposition to Bangladesh in Melbourne. “It’ll be a improbable honor,” he stated, “however three factors is all I care about.”
Qatar remains to be recovering from shedding all three video games as World Cup host in 2022, and takes on Afghanistan in its first recreation. Carlos Queiroz, who led Portugal, Iran and South Africa efficiently by World Cup qualification, was appointed in February.
Queiroz’s substitute in Tehran is Amir Ghalenoei, whose second spell with Iran begins in opposition to Hong Kong in what is probably the hardest check that any of the so-called huge six face this week.
Roberto Mancini faces his first aggressive recreation with Saudi Arabia since being appointed in August. The Inexperienced Falcons have received only one out of 11 video games since their surprising 2-1 win over eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in November on the World Cup.
Taking up Pakistan at residence ought to give the Saudi staff the chance for a much-needed victory although because it prepares for harder exams forward.
Pakistan is enjoying at this stage for the primary time, having come by the primary spherical of qualifying with a win over Cambodia final month.
In different group openers, the Palestinian staff will play Lebanon in Sharjah, having to arrange remotely due to the continued Israel-Hamas warfare, and United Arab Emirates shall be enjoying at residence on the identical night time in opposition to Nepal.
India is touring to Kuwait in Group A and China is touring to Thailand in Group C.
