S. Korea to host Ecuador, Uruguay in Sept. friendlies

South Korea plans to host Ecuador and Uruguay for men's football friendly matches in September, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Wednesday. The two matches are scheduled for September 24 and September 28, with the venues and kickoff times to be revealed at a later date. These games will take place within the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6.

This will be the third meeting between South Korea and Ecuador, with the teams having split the two previous friendly matches. South Korea won 2-0 in a friendly held in Seoul in May 2010. The pair will also face each other for the 11th time, with Korea securing a win, drawing one match, and suffering seven losses against Uruguay. Uruguay triumphed 2-1 against South Korea in Seoul in March 2023.

Ecuador and Uruguay both participated in this year's FIFA World Cup, with Ecuador advancing to the round of 32 and Uruguay exiting the group stage. South Korea will participate in a total of six matches during the September 9-17 window under a caretaker head coach. The vacant head position was left after former bench boss Hong Myung-bo resigned at the end of June to assume responsibility for the country's elimination from the World Cup group stage.