Son called in for South Korea as Asia's leading teams enter qualifying for the 2026 World Cup
The Hindu
Asia's top teams prepare for World Cup qualifying start: South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all have European-based stars in their squads. They all aim to start the second stage of Asian competition with a statement win, with South Korea's Son Heung-min and Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan leading the attack.
Son Heung-min will join South Korea for its opening game in World Cup qualifying, with head coach Jurgen Klinsmann aiming to start the second stage of Asian competition with a statement win.
The Koreans and Asia’s five other 2022 World Cup participants start their qualification campaigns to appear at the 2026 tournament on Thursday.
None of the continental heavyweights are taking this stage lightly, with European-based stars such as Son, Kaoru Mitoma and Mehdi Taremi picked for their national teams to take on some of the continent’s lower-ranked rivals.
South Korea kicks off against Singapore in Seoul with Tottenham star Son and Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan leading the attack. Both have been in excellent form in the Premier League.
Klinsmann is ready to play his strongest team, despite the fact Singapore is ranked No. 155, as he begins a bid for South Korea to qualify for an 11th successive World Cup.
“You have to take them very seriously,” Klinsmann, who was appointed in February, told a news conference in Seoul. “Your mind has to be in the right place. We have to be very sharp from the first moment.”
That's an approach that the likes of Japan, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also taking.
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