Son Heung-min’s South Korea toiled into the Asian Cup knockout rounds on Jan 25, after conceding a last-minute equaliser in a madcap 3-3 draw with minnows Malaysia.
The result in Doha meant the Koreans advanced as Group E runners-up and avoided a last-16 showdown with pre-tournament favourites and arch-rivals Japan.
Instead they will play Group F winners Saudi Arabia, who drew 0-0 with Thailand in a late match. The Thais finished second in the group and will meet Uzbekistan.
Bahrain topped Group E and will face Japan after a 1-O win over Jordan, who also went through to the last 16.
"We didn't want to avoid Japan, definitely wasn't our plan to concede three today. We wanted to go through in first place, that was our goal," said South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
"But Malaysia defended well, they worked so hard. They played with a lot of heart, got to give them credit for their performance but we should have won this game."
Denne historien er fra January 26, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra January 26, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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