[Diary Point = Reporter Park Bo-young] South Korea’s national team will kick off against Saudi Arabia at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 and against Qatar at 11 p.m. on Nov. 17, Coupang Play announced on the 12th. The Korea Football Association says the matches will start at 5:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, local time.
Both matches will be played in Doha, Qatar. They will be available on Coupang Play’s mobile app and website, where viewers must sign in with a Coupang account. The Korea Football Association said it had initially pursued hosting the matches in Saudi Arabia but moved them to Doha in light of local conditions.
Coupang says regular members can also use Coupang Play for free with ads. Some content, however, requires a WOW membership or a separate pass. The announcement of the A-match broadcasts did not mention any separate pass requirement.
Saudi Arabia won the Gulf Cup last month for the first time in 22 years, while Qatar won back-to-back Asian Cup titles in 2019 and 2023. South Korea’s 26-player squad, including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae, is traveling for the two matches. FIFA rankings published by the Korea Football Association place Saudi Arabia 55th and Qatar 60th. South Korea’s all-time record against Saudi Arabia stands at five wins, nine draws and five losses in 19 meetings. In their most recent encounter, in the Asian Cup round of 16 in January 2024, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw and a penalty shootout win. South Korea’s record against Qatar is six wins, two draws and three losses in 11 matches.
Coupang Play has scheduled a preview show for the Saudi Arabia match at 10:30 p.m., and one for the Qatar match at 10:30 p.m. Lee Keun-ho, a broadcast analyst, said of Saudi Arabia’s defense, “The key will be how well the forwards combine and how varied their movement is.” The Korea Football Association said the two-match trip to the Middle East will give the team a chance to experience local conditions and fine-tune its match readiness ahead of the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.