The 2020 champions, with over 70 percent possession and 16 shots in total, struggled to breach UAE's defence until Lee Young-jun's dramatic header in added time clinched the victory.
"In any tournament, the first match is always difficult as there are a lot of variants, which was the case today,” said Hwang. “We had a very difficult match today, but the players’ determination and willingness to win made it happen. .....
🎥 HIGHLIGHTS | 🇰🇷 Korea Republic 1️⃣-0️⃣ UAE 🇦🇪
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) April 16, 2024
Substitute Lee Young-jun’s stoppage time header saw Korea Republic snatch a win over UAE!
📰 Match Report 🔗 https://t.co/9lvVnF1PEe#AFCU23 | #KORvUAE pic.twitter.com/bOYVZY8ISM

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