National soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann (left) and striker Hwang Hee-chan on Jan. 14 speak at a news conference held at the main media center in Doha, Qatar, the day before Korea plays Bahrain in their opening game of Group E of the Asian Cup. (Yonhap News)

By Jung Joo-ri

National soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann has emphasized the importance of Korea's opening game against Bahrain in Group E of the Asian Cup in Qatar.

In an official news conference on Jan. 14, the day before the match, at the main media center in Doha, Qatar, he said, "Game No. 1 is a very, very important game. Every game will be difficult..."

Klinsmann said he told players to stay focused on each upcoming game and just concentrate on the Bahrain match. Predicting that Korea can advance to the final, he added that another drama will unfold in Qatar like the one in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Striker Hwang Hee-chan appeared at the news conference with Klinsmann on behalf of the players, saying, "We are back in Qatar almost a year later and all players are ready."

"Fans have a lot of expectations for us, and we want to achieve our desired goal by playing the games calmly with our accumulated experience."

Korea aims to win the Asian Cup 64 years after its last victory in the tournament. In Group E, the Taegeuk Warriors face Bahrain on Jan. 15 at 8:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, followed by Jordan on Jan. 20 and Malaysia on Jan. 25.

etoilejr@korea.kr