South Korea will begin their AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign with a group fixture against Bahrain at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday. They are part of Group E which also includes Malaysia and Jordan who play on the same day.
Heung-min Son and co. have won their last six matches including friendlies in a row and will be confident of a big win in the tournament opener. They beat their opponents 3-0 and 5-0 in their last official appearance in the World Cup qualifiers that took place in November.
Bahrain's last official result was a defeat at the hands of UAE in the World Cup qualifiers. They will have to be at their best to stop the extremely dangerous South Korean attack. Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
South Korea vs Bahrain kick-off time
| Date: | January 15, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 12.30 pm GMT |
| Venue: | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium |
The match will be played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday, with kick-off at 12.30 pm GMT for fans in the UK.
How to watch South Korea vs Bahrain online - TV channels & live streams
The match will be shown live on Triller TV in the UK. Match highlights will be available on the platform and AFC Asian Cup YouTube channel after the game. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
South Korea team news
The fitness of defender Kim Jin-su is the only concern for South Korea ahead of their Asian Cup tournament opener against Bahrain.
All eyes will be on star forward Heung-min Son who has played well for Tottenham in the Premier League this season. He will be looking to open his account in the first game itself.
South Korea predicted XI: Kim; Park, Seol, Kim, Jung; Jeong, Lee, Hong, Hwang; Son, Oh.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Kim Seung-gyu, Song Bum-keun, Jo Hyeon-woo |
| Defenders: | Lee Ki-je, Kim Jin-su, Kim Min-jae, Park Jin-seop, Jeong Woo-yeong, Lee Kang-in, Kim Young-gwon, Seol Young-woo, Kim Tae-hwan, Kim Ju-sung, Kim Ji-soo |
| Midfielders: | Park Yong-woo, Hwang In-beom, Hong Hyun-seok, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Soon-min, Moon Seon-min, Jung Seung-hyun, Jeong Woo-yeong, Lee Kang-in, Park Jin-seop, Kim Young-gwon, Yang Hyun-jun |
| Forwards: | Son Heung-min, Cho Gue-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Oh Hyeon-gyu |
Bahrain team news
Ibrahim Lutfalla has solidified his position as the first-choice goalkeeper for Bahrain and is widely expected to maintain his role in the goalkeeping position.
Abdulla Yusuf Helal is nearing a milestone of a hundred international appearances as he gears up to earn his 97th cap on Monday.
Ahmed Bughammar was the only injury doubt for Bahrain ahead of the clash but he is expected to shake it off and start the game.
Bahrain predicted XI: Lutfalla; Al Hayam, Benaddi, Bughammar, Adel; Madan, Al-Aswad, Al-Shaikh; Helal, Al-Humaidan, Al-Hashsash.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Fardan, Lutfalla, Jaffer |
| Defenders: | Benadi, Al Hayam, Baqer, Al-Khalasi, Adel, Ali, Al-Eker |
| Midfielders: | Abdulwahab, Al-Hardan, Madan, Marhoon, Al-Aswad, Al-Khatal, Isa, Atede, Al-Shaikh, Abdul Qayoom, Khelaif, Al-Wali |
| Forwards: | Helal, Al-Hashsash, Al-Humaidan |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| January 22, 2019 | Korea Republic E 2 - 1 Bahrain | Asian Cup |
| January 10, 2011 | Korea Republic 2 - 1 Bahrain | Asian Cup |
| February 4, 2009 | Bahrain 2 - 2 Korea Republic | Friendly |
| July 15, 2007 | Bahrain 2 - 1 Korea Republic | Asian Cup |
| December 5, 2006 | Korea Republic 1 - 0 Bahrain | Asian Games |