Korea to take on Saudi Arabia, Qatar in Nov. football friendlies

Korea will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in two football friendly matches next month in Doha, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Thursday. The first match against Saudi Arabia, ranked 55th, is scheduled for November 13 at 5:30 p.m. local time, while the match against Qatar, ranked 60th, will take place on November 17 at 5 p.m. local time. Both matches fall within the final FIFA international match window of 2026.

These friendly matches aim to prepare Korea, currently ranked 32nd in the world, for the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, which begins in January in Saudi Arabia. In their 19 previous meetings against Saudi Arabia, Korea has secured five wins, nine draws, and five losses. Against Qatar, Korea has recorded six victories, two draws, and three losses.

Initially, the KFA had planned to stage the match against Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing conflict in the region. However, they decided to relocate it to Qatar following threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels. These matches will also mark the final two games for Korea's interim head coach, Robert Mor.