Saudi Arabia's green wave was at a shocking level. Among them, the Taegeukgi stood out even more.
The South Korean national team led by Jürgen Klinsmann will play Saudi Arabia 56th in the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup at Education City Stadium in Alayyan, Qatar, at 1 a.m. on Saturday. The winner of the match will face Australia in the quarterfinals.
Saudi Arabia's spectators were huge. It was predicted that more than 30,000 Saudi Arabian fans would flock even before the opening of the match. Saudi Arabia, which is close to Qatar and can be moved by car, reportedly made reservations envisaging the team's No. 1 ranking, and in fact, it flocked to the area around the time of Game 3. As I was staying at an accommodation located in Alayyan, I felt it more directly than anyone else.
The Education City Stadium was filled with green waves three hours before the game started. There was also a green wave at the media center located in Doha, and only people wearing Saudi Arabian flags were seen in the stadium. The media center was located in downtown Qatar and was enjoying the game as it was possible to get to the Education City station at once by subway. The store that sells official merchandise was also wearing Saudi Arabia-related goods, followed by a Saudi Arabia concert. Some Korean fans were seen, but only a few Saudi fans were there. Some people hung Saudi Arabian flags given by the competition. At first glance, it felt like a Saudi Arabian home. 스포츠토토
The same happened in the stadium. Saudi Arabian fans were amazing. Before kickoff, the emcee said, "Make some noise if you are rooting for Korea," but Saudi Arabian fans booed louder than Korean fans. The wave of the Saudi Arabian flag was amazing. It was overwhelming indeed. When the Saudi Arabian national anthem was played, the team even held a card section wishing for its fourth win in the Asian Cup.
Despite the tremendous support from Saudi Arabia, the Korean national flag was visible. Even in a relatively small number, many Korean fans were holding the national flag, and there was also the Red Devils in the middle of the green wave. I was moved and grateful when I shouted "Korea" and held up the national flag when the national anthem rang out.
Now, Education City Stadium is a battlefield. Everyone hopes that the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will bring about a miracle.
