South Korea, one of the favorites of the Asian Nations Cup, was eliminated this Tuesday after losing 2 goals to 0 against the surprising Jordan in the semifinal of the competition in Doha.
The Jordanians, who reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history, dominated Tottenham star forward Heung-Min Son’s Korea, thanks to goals from Yazan al-Naimat and Mousa al-Tamari, and will face either Iran or Qatar , defending champion, in the final.
Jordan opened the scoring in the second half: Yazan Al Naimat, well assisted by Mousa al-Tamari, won his duel with the Korean goalkeeper to open the scoring in the 53rd minute. Assistant and then goalscorer, al-Tamari, Montpellier forward nicknamed The “Jordanian Messi” beat several defenders before adjusting the shot to the goalkeeper’s opposite post to double the lead in the 66th minute.
South Korea, coached for a year by the German Jurgen Klinsmann, on the bench of Germany, Bayern or the United States, is once again stuck at the gates of the final, which it has not reached since 2015.
The Koreans, who reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, after finishing second in their group ahead of Uruguay and Ghana, had assumed the role of favorites, with Spurs forward Heung-Min Son and Paris midfielder SG Lee Kang In. The “Taeguk Warriors” won the Asian Cup twice, the last time in 1960.
In the final, Jordan could face Qatar, hosts and defending champions, or Iran, which has not won a continental trophy since 1976. The two countries meet on Wednesday (4 p.m. Spanish time).
