Key facts
- South Korea defeated Qatar 4-1 in their opening Group D match of the Asian Games men's football tournament on September 15, 2026.
- Eom Ji-sung scored a natural hat trick in the first half for South Korea.
- Kim Myeong-jun scored South Korea's fourth goal in the 66th minute.
- Marwan Sherif scored Qatar's only goal in the 85th minute.
- The South Korean and Qatari teams arrived late to the match after their bus drivers got lost.
South Korea began their Asian Games men's football tournament with a 4-1 victory over Qatar on September 15, 2026, in Nagoya, Japan. Midfielder Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City netted a natural hat trick in the first half, and KRC Genk forward Kim Myeong-jun added a fourth goal in the 66th minute. Qatar's only goal came from substitute Marwan Sherif in the 85th minute.
The match kicked off after a delay, as both the South Korean and Qatari teams arrived at the venue approximately 30 minutes late due to their bus drivers getting lost. The drivers reportedly went to an adjacent baseball stadium instead of the football pitch, leaving the players with limited time for warmups. South Korea's coach, Lee Min-sung, had also experienced a transportation delay prior to the tournament.
South Korea, aiming for a fourth consecutive gold medal, is in Group D with Saudi Arabia. They will play Saudi Arabia next Tuesday at the same venue. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.