The South Korean men’s national football team will open a training camp for an upcoming continental tournament in mid-December, the sport’s national governing body said Tuesday.
An official with the Korea Football Association said the national team, coached by Uli Stielike, will start a weeklong camp on the southernmost resort island of Jeju on Dec. 15 in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup.
The continental competition will open on Jan. 9 in Australia, where South Korea will try to win its first title since 1960.
South Korea is paired with Australia, Oman and Kuwait in Group A.
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Korea head coach Uli Stielike. (Yonhap) |
The KFA official added that players from the domestic K League Classic will make up most of the training unit on Jeju, and players from leagues in Japan and China will join them.
Overall, there will be about 20 players in camp, the official said.
The South Korean season will wrap up at the end of this month, while Japan’s J. League ends Dec. 6, and the Chinese Super League finished earlier this month.
According to the official, Stielike, who took over South Korea in October, wants to take a closer look at players based in Asia before naming his 23-man Asian Cup roster, around Dec. 22.
South Korea will heavily feature players from Europe, and since they’re in the midst of their respective seasons, those players won’t be made available for Stielike’s training session next month.
Since Stielike took the helm, South Korea has played four friendly matches, winning twice and losing twice.
For the Asian Cup, Stielike has said he likely won’t pick anyone who has yet to play for him.
Following his Jeju training camp, Stielike will announce the Asian Cup team and will leave for Down Under on Dec. 27.
South Korea will set up its base camp in Sydney. (Yonhap)
