The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Korea confirms schedule of int'l football event for Olympics

By 최희석

Published : May 18, 2016 - 16:26

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Korea will play Nigeria first in an international football tournament created as a warm-up for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, the national football governing body said Wednesday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said that South Korea will host Nigeria at the four-nation invitational tournament on June 2 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The men's under-23 football team will then face Honduras on June 4 at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul. They will wrap up the tournament on June 6 with a match against Denmark at Bucheon Stadium in Bucheon, 24 kilometers west of Seoul.

Korea had announced last month that they will stage a four-nation invitational tournament sometime in late May or June in order to prepare for the Summer Games in Brazil. Nigeria, Honduras and Denmark all have qualified for the Olympics.

The KFA said that head coach Shin Tae-yong will unveil South Korea's roster for the tournament on Monday and begin training on May 30.

Korea, which will make their eighth straight Olympic appearance, are paired with Mexico, Fiji and Germany in Group C at the Olympics.

Nigeria, the 1996 Olympics winners, are in Group B with Colombia, Japan and Sweden. Honduras are paired with Algeria, Portugal and Argentina in Group D, while Denmark have drawn host Brazil, South Africa and Iraq in Group A.

The Olympic men's football tournament is open to players under 23, with each of the 16 qualified countries permitted up to three overage players as "wild cards." (Yonhap)