[SPOTV News = Reporter Cho Yong-woon / Video Reporter Lee Kang-yu] South Korea is finally taking off.

Korea will play the first leg of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup group stage at 8:30 pm on the 15th. Korea, seeking the return of its king, is tied in Group E with Bahrain, Jordan, and Malaysia.

This is a championship challenge that has waited 64 years. The first opponent is Bahrain. Korea has played against Bahrain 16 times so far and is ahead by a large margin with 11 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss. Four years ago, in the Asian Cup, they won 2-1 with goals from Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Jin-su. However, in 2007, we suffered an upset loss to Bahrain, so we must not let our guard down.

The fact that it is the first game is also a variable. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also predicted a serious approach the day before the game, saying, "The first game is very important. There are no weak teams in the Asian Cup. The game against Bahrain will be a difficult game."

Korea has the upper hand in both power and flow. Korea, which even won the final mock test against Iraq, boasts six consecutive wins in A matches. The scoreless streak continues for 8 games. The European faction that we are proud of, including Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and Cho Kyu-sung, will also be in attendance.

What I am disappointed with is Hwang Hee-chan. It is unclear whether he will play due to a hip injury. Still, he attended the pre-press conference and opened up the possibility of playing as a replacement.

Bahrain had a three-game winning streak, but lost to the United Arab Emirates and Australia before coming to the Asian Cup. This is a good news for the Klinsmann Lake, which needs to create an atmosphere for a summit challenge.