The Korea Football Association and the Japan Football Association often share friendly home game opponents.

Even for a national team traveling to East Asia from another continent, it’s a great opportunity to experience both countries, which have reached the round of 16 at the 21st FIFA World Cup three times.

However, the Oct. 13-17, 2023, A match is only a half-hearted Korea-Japan collaboration. Japan will take on Canada and Tunisia, while South Korea will face Tunisia and Vietnam at home.

Japan is ranked 19th in the world, Korea 26th, Tunisia 29th, Canada 44th, and Vietnam 95th. Japanese soccer media outlet Chowarudosaka reacted to South Korea’s decision not to play Canada by saying, “Vietnam would have had a chance to play them (in an official match) even if it wasn’t a friendly…”.
The last seven A matches between South Korea and Vietnam were played as World Cup Asian qualifiers, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup qualifiers, and the Asian Games. It has been 48 years, 10 months and three days since they have met outside of FIFA and AFC events. 토토사이트

Canada will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts. “Chowarudosaka” criticized the South Korean A-match schedule, calling it “a puzzling matchup following last month’s trip to England to play a neutral assessment match against world No. 57 Saudi Arabia (1-0 win)”.

South Korea faced Saudi Arabia five days after a 0-0 draw against 35th-ranked Wales in a two-game friendly series in England in September. In the same period, Japan beat 15th-ranked Germany 4-1 on the road and 42nd-ranked Turkiye 4-2 in a neutral site match in Belgium.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, South Korea finished 16th and Japan finished ninth. Both nations are preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, which kicks off on January 12, 2024, also in Qatar.

South Korea is drawn in Group E of the Asian Cup Round of 24 with world No. 84 Jordan, No. 86 Bahrain and No. 134 Malaysia. Japan will play in Group D against 69th-ranked Iraq, Vietnam and 147th-ranked Indonesia.