Doha:Seoul South Korea is set to face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in two men's football friendly matches next month in Doha, as announced by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Taegeuk Warriors will take on 55th-ranked Saudi Arabia on November 13, followed by a match against 60th-ranked Qatar on November 17. The first match is scheduled to kick off at 530 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 1130 p.m. in South Korea. The second match will begin at 5 p.m. local time, or 1100 p.m. South Korea time.
These matches fall within the last FIFA international match window of 2026 and serve as preparation for the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, scheduled to commence in January in Saudi Arabia. Historically, South Korea has achieved five wins, nine draws, and five losses against Saudi Arabia, and recorded six wins, two draws, and three losses against Qatar.
The KFA initially planned to hold the Saudi Arabia match in Saudi Arabia but relocated it to Qatar due to security concerns arising from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. These upcoming friendlies will also mark the final two matches for South Korea's interim head coach, Robert Moreno.
Moreno's tenure began with a 3-0 victory over Ecuador on September 24, followed by a 4-1 defeat to Uruguay. A goalless draw against Venezuela occurred on October 2, and South Korea secured a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan on October 6. Although Moreno's contract extends only until November 27, the KFA is considering keeping him on through the Asian Cup based on the team's performance in these matches.
However, Moreno faces challenges with a fractured team dynamic. After the draw with Venezuela, defender Kim Min-jae publicly criticized his teammates' effort. Following the win against Uzbekistan, Kim, along with Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom, reportedly offered to retire from international play due to dissatisfaction with the team's leadership, including captain Son Heung-min.