The bad news continues for Lee Min-sung.
Following the failure of 'key defender' Kim Ji-soo (Kaiserslautern) to join, this time even 'key midfielder' Kang Sang-yoon (Jeonbuk) and 'main defender' Lee Hyun-yong (Suwon FC) fell. The Korea Football Association said on the 10th that Kang Sang-yoon and Lee Hyun-yong were excluded from the U-23 national team list due to sprained right ankle and rib injury, respectively, and that instead, Kim Han-seo of Daejeon Hana Citizen and Cho Hyun-tae of Gangwon FC were substituted.
The Korean men's under-22 (U-22) national team, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, will participate in the 'Panda Cup 2025'. The U-22 national team is preparing for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia in January next year. South Korea won all three games in the preliminary round in Indonesia in September, securing a ticket to the finals. In the group stage of the finals, they were in a group with Uzbekistan, Iran, and Lebanon. Last month, the national team held training and practice matches in Saudi Arabia, the venue of the tournament. Participation in the Panda Cup is also part of the Asian Cup preparation process, including a match against Uzbekistan, a group match.
Lee confirmed the list of 24 players to play in the Panda Cup on the 4th. Players who have been steadily selected since the appointment of coach Lee Min-sung, including Hwang Do-yoon (FC Seoul) and Park Seung-ho (Incheon Incheon United), have been named in this tournament in Chengdu, China. Kim Yong-hak (Portimonense), Kim Ji-soo (Kaiserslautern) and Kim Myung-joon (Henk) also joined. Kim Myung-joon, Shin Min-ha (Gangwon FC), Bae Hyun-seo (FC Seoul), Lee Kun-hee (Suwon Samsung) and Hong Sung-min (Pohang Steelers) who recently participated in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile were also on board.
However, following Kim Ji-soo, Kang Sang-yoon and Lee Hyun-yong were suddenly excluded, and director Lee's concerns grew. Manager Lee considered Kim Ji-soo, Kang Sang-yoon, and Lee Hyun-yong as the core of his waist and defense. Park Sung-hoon (FC Seoul) and Shin Min-ha are expected to fill the gap. Kim Han-seo, who was substituted, has one assist in 12 games this season, while Gangwon's third-year defender Cho Hyun-tae played two games.
Meanwhile, the U-22 national team will convene at Incheon International Airport on the 10th and depart for Chengdu, China, the site of the showdown. It will face Uzbekistan (4:30 p.m. on the 12th), China (8:35 p.m. on the 15th), and Vietnam (4:30 p.m. on the 18th). All matches are held at the Shuangliu Sports Center in Chengdu.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
