South Korea's Asian Games men's football team, the defending champions, has encountered significant transport delays in Japan, disrupting their training and match preparations. A Korea Football Association official stated the logistical issues are affecting all teams at the tournament.
The team arrived 20 minutes late for a recovery session in Nagoya on September 16 after their scheduled bus failed to show up at the hotel, forcing officials to scramble for a replacement. The previous day, the bus taking the squad to their opening 4-1 win over Qatar went to a baseball ground instead of the Mizuho Rugby Stadium, causing a 30-minute delay to their scheduled arrival.
A KFA official addressed the ongoing problems. "Minor issues regarding vehicle scheduling and operations have been continuously arising during every training session and official event throughout the tournament," the official said. "This is a situation that all teams currently participating in the tournament are facing, not just us."
These preparatory disruptions come as the senior national team holds third place in their World Cup qualifying group with three points from three matches, following a 1-0 friendly loss to South Africa on June 25. The Asian Games squad faces Saudi Arabia in their final group game on September 22, while the full national team's fixtures include a home match against Ecuador on September 24. The team's current standings and squad details are available for review.
Further reading: Straits Times Sport
