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South Korea's first-choice defender Kim Min-jae silently focuses on recovery training at a training facility in Doha, Qatar. /Courtesy of the Korea Football Association (KFA)

South Korea's national football team, in its second international window under interim head coach Robert Moreno, has begun preparations with a full squad ahead of two away friendlies in Qatar.

The South Korean national team, led by interim head coach Robert Moreno, held its first full training session in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday afternoon (Korean time), with all 26 players in attendance.

Captain Son Heung-min (LAFC), Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke) and Hwang In-beom (Porto), who were among the last players to join the squad after arriving early that morning, began training with light warm-up exercises following some sleep and rest. Most of the players who had arrived earlier worked on improving their fitness through individual training before taking part in the session under the guidance of the coaching staff, appearing in good spirits.

Ahead of the first training session, the official YouTube channel of the South Korean national football team, KFATV, released a video documenting the squad's arrival on Tuesday. While most of the footage featured players sharing their impressions of arriving in Doha and expressing their determination to perform well, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who had been caught up in speculation about a collective retirement from international football alongside fellow 30-year-olds Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom, both born in 1996, was shown silently focusing on recovery training at the training facility, in contrast to the other players.

South Korea will face Saudi Arabia at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 and Qatar at 11 p.m. on Nov. 17, with both matches scheduled to take place at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, according to the article.

Although the two friendlies have become somewhat less significant following the postponement of next year's AFC Asian Cup from January to December, they are expected to mark an important turning point for both interim head coach Moreno and the national team.

Moreno's contract runs through Nov. 27, and the Korea Football Association (KFA) had planned to decide whether to formally appoint him as head coach for the Asian Cup based on the results of six friendly matches, including four played in September and October and the upcoming two fixtures. However, the sudden postponement of the Asian Cup due to instability in the Middle East has disrupted that timetable. In addition, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently expressed concerns over proposed changes to the KFA's presidential election system, effectively derailing the election for the next KFA president that had been planned for next month. As a result, plans for the next KFA leadership to develop an alternative if Moreno proved unsuitable have also become difficult to carry out.

With these developments leaving his future highly uncertain, Moreno needs to defeat both Saudi Arabia and Qatar and clearly demonstrate his ability to manage the team if he hopes to extend his tenure without damaging his coaching career. That is why he has little choice but to approach both matches as must-win games.

The two friendlies also carry unusually high stakes for Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung and the so-called "Class of '96," who have been caught up in reports of internal conflict. If they once again appear divided, as they did during the match against Uzbekistan on Oct. 6, they are highly likely to face strong criticism from fans and the wider football community.

Meanwhile, the match against Saudi Arabia will be broadcast exclusively live on SBS, while the Qatar match will be broadcast simultaneously on KBS and MBC. According to the KFA, the broadcasting arrangements were made after TV Chosun, which holds exclusive broadcasting rights to matches organized by the association, decided not to air the two friendlies, citing internal circumstances.

                                                                                                           Cho Seong-jun