SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The men's national football team will try to turn the page from a recent rift as they take on Saudi Arabia this week in the first of two friendly matches in Qatar.
With the temporary head coach Robert Moreno in charge, world No. 32 South Korea will play 55th-ranked Saudi Arabia at 5:30 p.m. Friday (11:30 p.m. Friday in South Korea) at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha. South Korea will next face Qatar in Doha on Tuesday.
Son Heung-min (C) of the South Korean men's national football team is surrounded by teammates during a training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)
Son Heung-min (C) of the South Korean men's national football team is surrounded by teammates during a training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)
The Saudi Arabia match will be South Korea's first since their 2-0 win over Uzbekistan on Oct. 6. In that game's immediate aftermath, three players, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Min-jae, reportedly threatened to retire from international play because they had been frustrated with the team's leadership group, led by longtime captain Son Heung-min.
After weeks of rumors on their friction, the five players issued a joint statement Thursday, saying they had put their differences behind them, and they were now ready to pursue their common goal of rewarding loyal fans with good performances.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) had scheduled the two matches in November in preparation for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, initially scheduled to kick off in January. However, the AFC recently postponed the tournament to December 2027 amid attacks on the host country by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The focus will now shift to moving on from the controversy and finishing the year on a high note as the two matches in Qatar will be the final ones for South Korea in 2026.
Members of the South Korean men's national football team huddle up during a training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)
Members of the South Korean men's national football team huddle up during a training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)
Son, who has received a vote of confidence from Moreno as skipper, will try to add to his national team record total of 59 international goals. Son broke a tie with former striker Cha Bum-kun during the Uzbekistan match in October and will now look for his first goal against Saudi Arabia in his third match against them.
It will also bear watching if the two new young faces, the 19-year-old midfielder Son Jeong-beom and the 21-year-old defender Shin Min-ha, will make their senior international debut during this Qatar trip.
The clock is ticking on Moreno's tenure. Back in September, the KFA signed him through Nov. 27, asking him to hold down the fort for six friendly matches -- two each in September, October and November -- before it could name a full-time bench boss for the Asian Cup.
The KFA did give Moreno a chance to stay on through the Asian Cup, depending on South Korea's performances in the six matches. However, with the Asian Cup now pushed back to the end of next year, the KFA may simply let Moreno's contract expire at the end of November and take its time appointing the new head coach.
Robert Moreno (C), temporary head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, watches his team's training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)
Robert Moreno (C), temporary head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, watches his team's training session at Qatar University in Doha on Nov. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)