Qatar U23 vs South Korea U23 2026 Asian Games Preview
Group D action in the football event at the 2026 Asian Games gets underway, with Qatar facing South Korea.
Both teams have been inconsistent in the build-up to the tournament, and with neither defence showing much solidity, goals are expected here.
Key Stats
- Qatar U23 have conceded in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Qatar U23 have scored in five of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- South Korea U23 have conceded in their last 10 matches in all competitions
- South Korea have scored in seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Qatar with the Edge
Qatar have picked up two wins while South Korea have been victorious just once in the last three matches. The most recent meeting was an AFC Asian Cup U23 qualifier back in 2023, which ended 2-0 in favour of the Qataris.
Qatar Keen to find their Rhythm
Qatar have been playing in the Qatar Stars League 2 for the 2026-27 season, where they have failed to win their opening three matches. Ilidio Vale’s team were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Waab in their previous fixture.
Al Annabi’s showings in the league are a reflection of their overall struggles lately, having picked up just two wins from their last 10 matches in all competitions. Taking a pause from domestic action, they will be hoping to find their rhythm at the Asian Games.
One of the issues for Qatar is a lack of discipline at the back, having conceded in nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, they have shown some quality going forward, scoring in five of their last eight matches in all competitions.
South Korea Below Their Best
South Korea head into their Group C opener off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Kyrgyzstan in a friendly back in June. They struggled to find their rhythm going forward and were guilty of missing a few chances.
That result is part of an erratic recent run for South Korea, who have won just four of their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, they did claim a 3-2 victory over Thailand in their previous fixture and manager Lee Min-Sung will be keen to channel that performance on Tuesday.
Like their rivals, South Korea have also struggled to keep things tight at the back and are without a clean sheet in the last 10 matches in all competitions. However, they have scored in seven of those 10 fixtures.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Qatar (4-3-3): Amir Hassan; Marwan Sherif, Ahmed Reyad, Abdullah Mujeeb, Nabeel Irfan; Jassem Al-Sharshani, Abdulaziz Mohammed, Fares Said; Mohamed Surag, Mohamed Khaled, Mahdi Al Mejaba.
Reyad and Mujeeb should partner in central defence for Qatar, while Said is set to start in midfield. Khaled is expected to feature in attack, with Al Mejaba and Surag providing support.
South Korea (4-2-3-1): Kim Joon-Hong; Woo Jin-Choi, Park, Shin Min-ha, Kim Ji-Soo, Kang Min-Jun; Hwang Do-Yun, Bae Jun-Ho, Lee Seong-Won; Kang Sang-Yoon, Yang Min-Hyeok.
Shin should start in central defence for South Korea alongside Kim, while Hwang is expected to line up in defence. Lee is set to feature in attack, with Kang and Yang providing support.