S KOREA TO FACE U.S., MEXICO IN AWAY FOOTBALL FRIENDLIES

SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will face two of the three host countries of the next FIFA World Cup in away friendly matches this fall, the sport's national federation said Wednesday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, will play the U.S. team at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, at 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 (6 a.m. on Sept. 7, Korean Standard Time). Then South Korea will play Mexico on Sept. 9 at a venue to be determined later.

The United States and Mexico will be co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Canada.

These will be the first set of away friendly matches for South Korea since they played Wales and Saudi Arabia in Wales and England in September 2023.

Members of the South Korean starting lineup pose for photos before taking on Jordan in their Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on March 25, 2025. Top row (L to R): Hwang In-beom, Park Yong-woo, Cho Yu-min, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Hyeon-woo and Son Heung-min. Bottom row (L to R): Lee Dong-gyeong, Lee Tae-seok, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung and Seol Young-woo. (Yonhap)
 

South Korea last played the U.S. in February 2014, when the Americans prevailed 2-0. The U.S. are No. 16 in the current FIFA rankings, seven spots ahead of South Korea. But South Korea hold the all-time edge with five wins, three draws and three losses.

The previous meeting between South Korea and Mexico came in November 2015 in Austria, where Mexico had a 3-2 win. South Korea have had four wins, two draws and eight losses against Mexico, currently world No. 17.

South Korea are on the verge of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. In the ongoing third round of the Asian qualification, they are leading Group B with 16 points with two matches to go, three points ahead of Jordan and four better than Iraq. And with the top two teams booking their tickets to the World Cup, South Korea can grab one with at least a draw against Iraq in their next qualifying match on June 5.

The final qualifying match will be at home against Kuwait on June 10.

The KFA said Hong will announce his squad for those matches May 26.

South Korea have played in every World Cup since 1986, including as a co-host alongside Japan in 2002.

- Yoo Jee-ho

 

 

CHINA ALIVE IN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING DESPITE SOUTH KOREA LOSS

China goalkeeper Wang Dalei reacts after conceding a goal to South Korea in World Cup qualifying. Getty Images

 China squeezed into the third round of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday despite slipping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of South Korea in Seoul.

Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan also confirmed their progress to the next round with the Chinese qualifying as runners-up in Group C behind the South Koreans after Thailand could only register a 3-1 victory over Singapore.

Needing to win by three clear goals, or to score at least four with a two-goal victory margin to climb above the Chinese in the standings, Masatada Ishii's side fell agonisingly short of a spot in the draw for the next round on June 27.

Suphanat Mueanta put Thailand in front eight minutes before the break but Thailand-based forward Ikhsan Fandi levelled 12 minutes after the restart for the Singaporeans.

A frantic Thailand pushed forward as time ticked down with Poramet Arjvirai and Jaroensak Wonggorn scoring in the last 11 minutes to take their side closer to their target, but ultimately the War Elephants fell short.

The Chinese had earlier lost in Seoul World Cup Stadium when Paris Saint-Germain winger Lee Kang-in scored from close range in the 61st minute to leave Branko Ivankovic and his players sweating on the outcome of the game in Bangkok.

Indonesia, meanwhile, confirmed their progress to the third round for the first time with a comfortable 2-0 win in Group F over the Philippines at a buoyant Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Netherlands-born midfielder Thom Haye put the home side in front 32 minutes into the game when he bent a perfectly judged right foot shot into the top corner of Kevin Mendoza's goal.

The victory was secured through a glanced header by Rizky Ridho in the 56th minute that gave the unprotected Mendoza little chance as Indonesia confirmed a second-place finish behind already-qualified Iraq.

Japan cruised to a 5-0 win over Syria in Hiroshima that fatally damaged the hopes of Hector Cuper's side, who were overtaken in Group B by North Korea as a result of Ri Jo Guk's hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Myanmar in Vientiane.

Kuwait finished second in Group A when Eid Al-Rashidi scored in the 81st minute to hand Afghanistan a 1-0 loss, with the Gulf state taking the runners-up spot behind Asian champions Qatar, who ended India's hopes with a 2-1 win in Al-Rayyan.

Kyrgyzstan confirmed their progress with a 1-1 draw with Group D winners Oman, who had already sealed their spot in the third round as Eldiyar Zarypbekov saw his 19th minute opener cancelled out by Abdul Aziz Khalfan's deflected strike.

The draw for the next round will feature 18 nations, including regular World Cup qualifiers Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, who had all secured their berths ahead of Tuesday's group matches.

Uzbekistan, Jordan, Bahrain and Palestine have also qualified for the third phase, which will see teams compete for six of the continent's eight guaranteed spots in the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

- Reuters 

AUSTRALIA TO PLAY PALESTINIAN MEN'S SOCCER IN PERTH IN JUNE

 SYDNEY (AP) — Soccer Australia said Tuesday that the Socceroos will play the Palestinian men's soccer team in Perth, Western Australia on June 11 in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

Australia has a 2-0 record in Group I in the second round of Asian qualifying while the Palestinian team has a draw and a loss.

The loss was 1-0 to Australia when the Palestinian side was forced to play a “home” game in Kuwait in November due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. It was originally scheduled for the West Bank.

Players on the Australian team, before the start of the Kuwait match, donated a portion of their fees towards humanitarian causes in Gaza.

SHEIKH AHMAD, BROTHER FILE CASES AGAINST IOC AT CAS OVER ELECTION

Reuters

Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has lodged a case against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following his ban for "influencing" the election of his brother to a key Olympic post.

Sheikh Ahmad was banned from the IOC for three years in July after it found he had an "undeniable impact" on Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) elections in which his brother, Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was appointed president.

The IOC's ethics commission said the IOC should not recognise Sheikh Talal's appointment until a full review of the OCA elections process was carried out.

IOC ASKS SINGH TO CONTINUE AS ACTING HEAD OF OLYMPIC COUNCIL OF ASIA

Reuters 

The International Olympic Committee has asked India's Randhir Singh to continue as acting head of the Olympic Council of Asia, according to a letter seen by Reuters, after the IOC refused to recognise the Asian governing body's elections.

Earlier this week, the IOC banned Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for three years, saying he had an "undeniable impact" on this month's OCA elections in which his brother Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was appointed president.

Sheikh Ahmad travelled to Bangkok ahead of the election and was in the city when it took place, which was "interpreted as interference in the election process" by the IOC's ethics commission. Sheikh Ahmad has denied any wrongdoing.

RONALDO GIVES PORTUGAL LATE WIN ON 200TH INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCE

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning late goal as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 on Tuesday to extend their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying Group J on an historic night for the forward who became the first player to make 200 international appearances.

TAIFA STARS: TIMU YA TAIFA KUINGIA UTURUKI JUMAPILI

Taifa Stars itaondoka Jumapilikwenda Uturuki kujiandaa na michuano ya awali ya kufuzu ya AFCON 2017...Timu haitosimama Muscat na itaenda moja kwa moja Istanbul kuweka kambi ya siku 8...Huko Istanbul watacheza na Libya na Kuwait chini ya kocha Charles Boniface Mkwasa...Taifa Stars wanatarajiwa kukutana na Nigeria Septemba 5...Bofya hapa upatebahari zaidi.