Lee Hee-kyun, Gwangju FC’s “local boy,” still has a great desire to grow.
Lee Hee-kyun, who spent a long period of time sitting on the bench in Gwangju until his third and fourth years as a pro, was in his prime under coach Lee Jung-hyo. He contributed to Gwangju’s third place in the league by scoring two goals and one assist while playing 34 league games last season, and is enjoying a career high with five goals in 25 games this season.
Lee is still thirsty. What Lee needs is a cool scoring capacity to quench his thirst. Having scored against the last Yokohama F. Marinos for the first time in a long time, Lee now wants to continue this momentum in the league. Lee’s last league goal was against Ulsan HD last July.
Lee Hee-kyun joked that his colleagues have the reason why he cannot grow further. To be exact, his colleagues couldn’t create a scoring chance for him. Lee Hee-kyun smiled, saying, “If the article goes out, you will know who it is.”
Gwangju FC, led by head coach Lee Jung-hyo, won 3-1 against Johor Darul Takjim of Malaysia with multiple goals from Albania’s national team, in the third leg of the 2024-2025 Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage at Yongin Mir Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 22nd.
It was nine points with three consecutive ACLE wins, keeping the East Asian group in the lead regardless of the results of the third game of the other teams.
Asani’s multiple goals in the third and sixth minutes of the first half enabled Gwangju to win the game early on. There were many crises, including allowing Johor to score a chasing goal in the 27th minute of the first half, but Johor’s own goal by Korean defender Park Joon-hyung at the end of the game clearly sealed the game.
Lee started the match on the bench, but was substituted by the afternoon player around the 12th minute of the second half. It was coach Lee Jung-hyo’s choice to break the trend of Johor’s wave offensive, which continued to aim for the equalizer in the second half following the first half, and to make changes to the side through replacement.
Lee failed to score an offensive point, but he actively moved in front of the sideline to lead Gwangju’s side attack and defense. He shook Johor’s defense by linking with nearby players including Heo Yul, Jeong Ho-yeon, and Park Tae-joon, and when he had to block Johor’s attack, he actively participated in defense and added strength to the number fight. He did not shy away from tackling or competing. 먹튀검증
When asked about his performance in the ACL as a local boy in Gwangju, Lee said, “It’s my first ACL, and I’m having a good time after going through some bad moments in Gwangju. It’s an honor for me to be part of the team in such a way. I will continue this momentum and succeed in winning four consecutive games.”