Korea draws Qatar in Olympic qualifier

DOHA (Yonhap News) ― South Korea played Qatar to a 1-1 draw in the final round of the Asian football qualification for the 2012 London Olympics here on Wednesday.

Kim Hyun-sung pulled South Korea even in the 68th minute, after the home side got onboard on a penalty by Ibrahim Majid Abdulmajid late in the first half.

The visiting side failed to capitalize on early chances. Park Jong-woo’s free kick from left of the Qatar net in the 13th minute sailed just wide of the goal. Three minutes later, Yun Il-lok set up Kim Hyun-sung with a headed pass but the shot went deflected off a Qatari defender.

Then late in the opening half, Park fouled Khaled Muftah in the zone after the Qatari forward charged in hard on the left wing.

Abdulmajid converted the penalty to give the home team the lead.

The equalizer came midway through the second half. Midfielder Seo Jung-jin, who’d just entered the game as a substitute, sent a cross from left for Kim Hyun-sung, who headed it in past goalkeeper Ahmed Sofyan.

South Korea is leading Group A with four points, on a win and a tie. The team beat Oman 2-0 at home in September. Oman is in second place with three points, followed by Qatar with two points and winless Saudi Arabia with one.

South Korea’s next match is against Saudi Arabia this Sunday in Seoul.

In the final qualifying stage, there are three groups of four teams, which will play each other twice in the home-and-away format. Only the top seeds from those groups will secure berths in London. The winner of a three-way playoff among No. 2 teams will enter an international playoff for the final chance to qualify.

Group B includes Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Group C comprises Japan, Bahrain, Syria and Malaysia.

Seeking its seventh straight Olympic appearance and ninth overall, South Korea has never won a football medal at the Olympics. It has made it out of the first round only twice in eight previous appearances at Olympic tournaments.

Olympic football squads are open only to players younger than 23, but countries can pick up to three players over that cap in “wild card” selections.