Qatar to start campaign against S Korea today

Former champions South Korea and Qatar both expect to hit the ground running when they square off in Group B of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023 on Friday.South Korea, winners of the AFC U16 Championship in 1986 and 2002, will be up against a Qatari side who were champions in 1990, with both aiming to end their long waits for the title.South Korea head coach Byun Sung-hwan expressed confidence in his charges ahead of the game at Thammasat Stadium."We are thrilled to have this opportunity to compete against the other teams in this group who are all from West Asia,” said Byun."We have made thorough preparations and are looking forward to the matches. The squad is confident following our pre-tournament schedule. While it is difficult to predict the outcome, we understand the significance of proper preparation, which we believe will ultimately yield positive results. We hope to start our first match on a high note and achieve a favourable outcome.”South Korea reached the semi-finals of the AFC U16 Championship 2018 and Byun said the aspiration is to win the 2023 tournament."We have set a clear goal for ourselves as we embark on this challenge after a 21-year trophy drought. To prepare for this, we played several friendlies with the most recent being against Thailand which we won 3-0."The players are confident, and I am certain that they will give their best on the field. I believe they will show the true strength of the Korean national team.”Byun’s counterpart was equally confident of his team’s chances with Ibrahim Mohamed Shafie claiming that his Qatari side has matured under Qatar’s Aspire Academy."We are thrilled to be here and hope to give our best performance and aspire to succeed in this tournament,” said Shafie."Our preparations for this tournament began a long time ago, not just for this tournament as these boys have been training at the Aspire Academy for the past six years. Our preparation has been excellent, including participation in various tournaments and friendlies. We even had the opportunity to play against China and we are fully prepared to compete in our group.”"Iran, South Korea and Afghanistan are highly competitive teams and we are fully prepared to compete against them. Our main focus is on the first game, and we will give our absolute best on the field."It has been 33 years since we last won the title and now we have the opportunity to win it. It is within our grasp and I believe we are well prepared to repeat this feat. The players are highly motivated and are determined to give their all to achieve our target.”