Korea came up with a fine performance to defeat Oman 5-1 and make their way into the Super 4s of the prestigious Hero Asia Cup here at the magnificent GBK Sports Arena on Thursday.
Korea’s stylish drag flick specialist Jonghyun Jang fetched the team’s first goal in the 11th minute which set the ball rolling for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy title holders. Hyeongjin Kim then extended the lead to 2-1 in the 19th minute. Aliyas Al-Noufali of Bangladesh brought some respite for his team when he scored a scintillating field goal in the 22nd minute and reduce the lead to 1-2 ahead of the half-time break.
But two back-to-back goals in the 33rd minute via penalty corner scored by Taeil Hwang and Jihun Yang put further pressure on Bangladesh. The 4-1 lead was increased to 5-1 when Junwoo Jeong struck a field goal in the 45th minute and the Korea defended this score in the final quarter.
“Yes, we are happy to have progressed to the Super 4s. The team is happy that we are now closer to qualifying for the World Cup. We worked hard for this win and it’s a prestigious tournament for us. We want to do well here,” stated Jonghyun Jang after the match.
Hero Man of the Match award was presented to Kim Hyeongjin of Korea.
