The AFC Asian Cup in South Korea and Qatar has a long history, with the Arab countries having hosted it twice in the past, with South Korea reaching at least the semi-finals in both cases.
But the most notable thing in any edition is the emergence of young promising players.
In 1988, it was Kim Joo-sung who won the Golden Ball, and in 2011, 18-year-old Son Heung-min made history as South Korea’s youngest goalscorer in the tournament.
This current version features another genius, Kangin Lee, 22 years old. He developed Bahrain’s physical superiority and contributed to the Bahrain team’s 3-1 victory at Jassi Bin Ahmed Stadium on Sunday.
South Korea’s Son Heung-min and Lee Gang-in line up for a free kick during the AFC Asian Cup Group E match between South Korea and Bahrain at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on January 15, 2024. | Photo provided by: GETTY IMAGES
Less than five minutes after Bahrain scored their second tying goal, he turned South Korea around with a left-footed curler shot from outside the box, doubling the score 12 minutes later.
“The coach said before the match started that it would be a difficult match and the match turned out just like that. There are no easy teams in this Asian Cup,” he told reporters after the match.
“There were some positive results and good performances today, but there is still room for improvement. So we have to keep training and hopefully we can have a better match next time.”
Starting your move to Spain without knowing any Spanish
Gang-in was born in Incheon, a city in northwestern South Korea.He first gained fame at the age of six when he appeared on a popular Korean reality show. fly shoot streetkids show off their soccer skills in front of the camera.
In a post-show interview, he said he considers Diego Maradona his idol and wants to be like the Argentine legend. “Even when he couldn’t learn Korean (properly), he would search for ‘Maradona’ on the Internet and only watch soccer videos that featured him,” he said. X Sports News.
However, unlike Maradona, Kangin received his call to youth development away from his hometown and from the other side of the world. He visited Valencia for a trial and impressed its youth coordinator Xavier Mochori, and he later joined La Masia and then Real Madrid’s youth team.
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The language disconnect was so great for Koreans that he took the exam in the class of 2000 (rather than his contemporaries in 2001) and still thrived.
Mocholi pushed to sign him, but Valencia had second thoughts and signed a 10-year-old player from South Korea who didn’t speak a word of Spanish.
The club eventually relented, but he insisted that he needed to keep his family in Spain in order to continue playing here. Gang-in’s family agreed, gave up everything in Korea, and moved abroad.
Looking back, they will have few regrets about what he accomplished during his 12 years in this country.
He made his first-team debut in the 2018 Copa del Rey before he even turned 18, making him the youngest Korean to play professionally in Europe. He ultimately won this tournament, earning him his first major trophy in Spain.
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A year later, he appeared in the UEFA Champions League, becoming his country’s youngest player to play in Europe’s top club competition.
However, with Peter Lim’s Valencia in turmoil and the departure of their legend Dani Parejo, Kangin was also included in the pre-season transfer list and mutually terminated his contract and returned to his “homeland”. left.
Kangin joined Valencia as a boy and left the club more than 10 years later as a man.
new challenge
Starting as a holding midfielder and eventually becoming an attacking midfielder, the South Korean became a regular and successful player for Mallorca.
He played 73 games in La Liga, scoring 7 goals and providing 10 assists, making him Spain’s second best dribbler after Vinicius Junior.
He moved to France last year and joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he has scored 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 16 games so far.
Real Mallorca’s Korean forward Lee Kang-in (right) faces Valencia’s French defender during the Spanish league soccer match between Valencia CF and RCD Mallorca at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on October 23, 2021. Accepts the challenge from Muktar Diahabi. Photo credit: AFP
“He’s small, but he can play up front, he can play at the back, he can come in and play on the wings, he can keep score. He’s a complete player. He’s a big signing for the club. When we signed him, We knew his potential. He still needs to improve, but he is doing well, ”said PSG head coach Luis Enrique. amazon prime.
For the national team, he attracted attention at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He became the main attacking force for the South Korean national team, assisting four goals and scoring two, winning the Golden Ball ahead of Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez. And Rafael Leo.
Kangin, who played for the national team alongside Son Mbappé and for the club alongside Kylian Mbappé, said he tries to learn from all the players he plays with, both for club and country.
“I’m learning a lot, and it’s not just on the field. I’m learning a lot off the field, too, and it’s not just Sonny in the national team or Mbappe at club level.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Korean midfielder #19 Lee Kang-in scores his first goal for the team together with Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward #07 Kylian Mbappé in the French L1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Montpellier Hérault SC. I’m glad I decided. November 3, 2023, Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris. Photo credit: AFP
“There are other players, both in the national team and in my club, from whom I have learned a lot. I will try to learn as much as I can to develop into a better person and footballer.” “So it’s just an honor to play with these players,” he said.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, South Korea started a temporary fightback against Ghana thanks to an assist to Cho Gu Sung, but ultimately ended in a 2-3 loss. However, his presence in the final third of the AFC Asian Cup has already made him one of the stars to watch.
“Everyone in the locker room and all the people back in our country have been waiting for this tournament and this trophy. We have all been motivated and hungry for this tournament because we have been waiting for 64 years. I feel that,” he said after the game.
However, Gang-in argued that South Korea should be cautious and not jump the gun.
“I think it’s too early to think about the championship. We go game by game, but we have five days to prepare for the next game. So we’re going to focus on the next game. “And we’ll see what happens in that moment,” he said.