Largely overshadowed by the AFCON, the Asian Cup of Nations has nonetheless taken off. Competing with South Korea, PSG's Kang-in Lee distinguished himself by scoring a spectacular brace in a quarter of an hour against Bahrain, and allowed his team to win 3-1 in their first match.
Kang-In Lee first made it 2-1 with a powerful shot from 25 metres out (56').
🚨 Lee Kang-in's gem that gave South Korea a 2-1 lead against Bahrain! What left foot of the Parisian ☄️🇰🇷player pic.twitter.com/nbpc3tpHOS
— Canal Supporters (@CanalSupporters) January 15, 2024
After that, the Parisian attacking midfielder doubled the lead, hooking into the box to finish with his left foot (3-1, 68′). In the first half, the Taeguk Warriors (nickname of the South Korean national team) cemented their dominance with a goal from Hwang-in Beom (38').
Just after the break, however, they were pegged back following a goal from Abdullah Al-Hashash (1-1, 51′). That's the moment Kang-in Lee chose to get angry and snatch the decision in favor of his team.
On Saturday for their 2nd Group E match, South Korea will face Jordan. For his 3rd group match, Kang-in Lee and his teammates have a date with Malaysia on Thursday 25 January.
🚨 Lee Kang-in's FESTIVAL scores a brace! A small hook that eliminated the defender and a nice little shot across the face of goal that gave South Korea a 3-1 🔥🇰🇷 lead pic.twitter.com/L200Ym14x8
— Canal Supporters (@CanalSupporters) January 15, 2024
In Qatar, South Korea, led by Germany's Jürgen Klinsmann, who are looking for a third title after the old ones in 1956 and 1960, are among the favourites. They are led by their two star strikers, Hwang Hee-chan (Brentford) and Son Heung-min (Tottenham).
Japan, the most successful team in the event with four trophies (1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011), is also among the contenders. Saudi Arabia, victorious in 1984, 1988 and 1996, will be hoping to capitalise on the huge spending they have spent on attracting established players to their league over the past year.