National Football Team “Came to Qatar for a Gold Medal”

“The gold project” has just started in the middle of the desert. Korean national football team coach Pim Verbeek arrived in the host city of 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 on November 27 with his team.

Eyes First Gold Medal in 20 Years Since 1986 Seoul Asian Games-

Verbeek’s face was bright when he arrived at the Doha airport. He said, “We came here to win a gold medal. I was satisfied with the result of our training. We will do out best to win the gold.” Korea is scheduled to meet Bangladesh on Tuesday, November 28 (at 11:15 p.m. Korea time), Vietnam on December 2, and Bahrain on December 6 in preliminary matches. Korea is expected to easily top Group B.

The team has exercised for 10 days to adjust to Middle Eastern conditions and overcome jetlag after finishing its final match with Iran on November 15 in its final build-up before the Asian Games. In particular, the team came closer to “The Golden Hope” after its 2-0 friendly match victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday without playing most of its key players. The Asian Games is a golden opportunity for Verbeek, who has faced strong criticism for the team’s poor performance since his inauguration.

The Dutch coach said, “Thanks to the players’ fighting spirit and hard work, we performed well. Their morale is very high.” In the meantime, the Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee (DAGOC) said on November 27, “As the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has temporarily lifted the disciplinary action against the Iranian Football Federation (IFF), Iran is qualified to play.” FIFA had previously suspended the Iranian national team from international games for the Iranian government’s meddling in IFF’s management.

bluesky@donga.com