The Korean national soccer team’s training was delayed due to an unusual surprise doping test.
On the 14th, the previous day, the South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, gathered at Mir Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province for training ahead of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. If scheduled, the training was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. after holding a press conference in advance.
Coach Hong Myung-bo and the coaching staff all gathered at the scheduled time after the press conference. However, the team was not able to start training on time. Korea Anti-Doping Agency suddenly visited the team and conducted doping tests.
Doping tests were conducted on eight athletes, and some athletes completed training and received additional tests because they did not meet the urine required by KADA.
As a result, the training was delayed by about 40 minutes, and the training took place after 4:40 p.m. The training session was delayed, but the players conducted the training in good condition.
In line with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s regulations, KADA also conducts inspections on professional sports athletes. Inspections are typically conducted immediately after a game, but are sometimes conducted outside of the game.
The Korea Football Association said, “Such a surprise doping test is very unusual,” but added, “Doping test happens all of a sudden during the convocation period. Sometimes we skip it and we can’t even predict when it will happen. Perhaps, players’ training hours are delayed due to the test and meals are delayed, which can affect their rhythm. I was informed an hour before the start of the training, but I am concerned if it will affect tomorrow’s game due to a setback.”
Meanwhile, Coach Hong Myung-bo, who held a press conference in advance on the same day, said, “(Iraq) is the closest point to us, the most important and strong opponent,” adding, “We have to bring results in some ways. After the match against Jordan, I have gained confidence in the overall team and I think it has improved from September in many aspects. We still have one game left, so we will prepare well so that the players can bring good results tomorrow.”
“We won only one point in September’s game against Kuwait, but we will try to make up for that in the future,” Iraqi national team coach Jesús Casas said after entering South Korea. 스포츠토토
Jesus Casas was mentioned as a candidate for the Korean national team when former national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was replaced earlier this year.
South Korea is 23rd in the FIFA rankings, while Iraq is 55th. South Korea is leading by a large margin with nine wins, 12 draws, and two losses.
The two teams will face off in the World Cup qualifying round at Mir Stadium in Yongin at 8 p.m. on the 15th.