Lee Kang-in sought to dampen expectations Korea Republic will finally end their decades-long AFC Asian Cup™ drought in Qatar 2023 despite steering the Taeguk Warriors to an opening 3-1 victory over Bahrain in Group E with a match-winning brace.
Lee lit up the second half at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium with two well-taken goals to deliver the three points for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side as the Koreans kicked off their attempt to win the trophy for the first time since the second of their back-to-back titles in 1960.
“Everyone in the locker room and all the people back home, the whole nation, are waiting for this trophy,” said Lee. “We haven’t won it for 64 years, so we’re all motivated and hungry for this tournament.
“It’s us, the players, the coaching staff and everyone in the team, but I think it’s a bit too early to speak about the championship.
“We now have five days to prepare for the next game, so we’re going to work hard and concentrate on the next game and see what happens.”
The Koreans will go into their meeting with Jordan on Friday with maximum points as a result of Lee’s display, the winger shaking his team out of an indifferent spell in the 56th minute with a brilliant left-foot finish from distance that gave Ebrahim Lutfalla no chance.
He scored again 13 minutes later, this time with a coolly taken strike from inside the penalty area, to wrap up a deserved win before seeking to hand the credit for the result to those around him.
“It’s not just about my two goals, all the goals that we score are very important for the team,” he said.
“I would just like to highlight that it’s not about individual performance. It was through good team play and because I had my team mates.
“All of the performance on the pitch has to come from the coaching staff as well as the players and what’s most important is three points, that the team wins.”
The Paris Saint-Germain winger has come into tournament in the best form of his fledgling career, with Lee making significant strides forward since joining the Ligue 1 champions over the summer from Real Mallorca.
PSG currently top the French league with Lee a key part of Luis Enrique’s side while he has already tasted continental success with Korea Republic in recent months, featuring prominently in the side that won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in October.
The opportunity to play alongside teammates such as Son Heung-min with Korea Republic and FIFA World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe at PSG has helped the former Valencia star to deliver on the potential that has long seen him marked out as a player expected to succeed.
“I’m learning a lot, but it’s not just about football and on the field, I’m learning a lot off the field too,” said the 22-year-old. “And it’s not just about Sonny with the national team or Mbappe at club level.
“There’s a lot of players both with the national team and back at my club that I’m learning a lot from and I try to take advantage of these players and learn as much as possible in order to develop as a better person and as a better football player.
“It’s a privilege to play along with these players.”
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
