With just over two weeks to go for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the-AFC.com caught up with former Korea Republic captain Koo Ja-cheol to get his thoughts on the continental showpiece.
The AFC Asian Cup holds a special place in the heart of the midfielder, whose five goals earned him the Golden Boot at the 2011 edition of the tournament.

Q: Can you share your thoughts on the AFC Asian Cup?

I think expanding the AFC Asian Cup to 24 teams (in 2019) has made the competition extremely exciting. It has given us the opportunity to see competition between diverse countries across the length and breadth of Asia.

Honestly, all the groups look very interesting and several teams are making comebacks after being away for some time. I am obviously most keen to see how the action unfolds in Group E since it hosts Korea Republic.

Moreover, I am pleased to see teams such as Malaysia and Hong Kong, China back in the game as they’re famous for being home to some of the most ardent fans of the beautiful game.

Who do you think are the favourites to win the AFC Asian Cup?

Oh, without a doubt, Korea Republic! I feel like it is long overdue. During my time, our aim had always been to win the trophy and settle for nothing else, but we haven’t been able to meet that goal.

Korea Republic has always given excellent performances at the AFC Asian Cup, but we have been shy of the title for a long time now. So, I am very hopeful that the boys will bring home the prize this time.
What do you think has changed since you left the squad?

I think our squad has become much stronger. There are more players getting experience from some of the top leagues and teams across the globe.  Many of them are playing not just in Europe, but are integral members of some of the best teams in the world.

They are bringing their wealth of experience to the team and to the younger players, I think there is also a sense of pride in playing alongside such icons.

What do you think of Korea Republic’s chances?

I think this is one of our best shots at winning the title.

We have an exemplary leader in Sonny (Son Heung-min) and personally, I really want to see him take the trophy. He is a legend among legends in Korea Republic and he brings genuine joy to our people. Moreover, look at all the players around him that he can count on. (Kim) Min-jae is doing so well in Bayern Munich.

I also enjoy watching Lee Jae-sung, currently at Mainz and people in our country absolutely love Lee Kang-in. So you can see, there are so many world class players and I think they have been preparing really well.

How did it feel to be the top scorer of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup but not win the title?

Obviously, it was a great personal achievement and I wasn’t exactly expecting to create records for myself, especially since the trophy eluded us. But I know I took every game one at a time and gave it everything I had. So, I ended up scoring a lot of goals which earned me the accolade and I am quite proud of the achievement.

However, I think I was a lot prouder about the fact that the award went to a Korean player.
Who are the players to look out for?

Again, Sonny of course. Like I mentioned, I think Korea Republic has quite a few heavyweights - Kang-in being one of them.

Given our historic rivalry with Japan, I am also keen to see the performances of the Samurai Blue. They are coming into this competition with a very strong squad and many of their players are also doing very well in European club football. They have players such as Kaoru Mitoma (pictured above) who is in terrific form right now.

Now that I am recounting all these big names, it makes me really happy that thanks to the AFC Asian Cup, our fans can see such great players in action in person.

Who are the players to look out for?

Again, Sonny of course. Like I mentioned, I think Korea Republic has quite a few heavyweights - Kang-in being one of them.

Given our historic rivalry with Japan, I am also keen to see the performances of the Samurai Blue. They are coming into this competition with a very strong squad and many of their players are also doing very well in European club football. They have players such as Kaoru Mitoma (pictured above) who is in terrific form right now.

Now that I am recounting all these big names, it makes me really happy that thanks to the AFC Asian Cup, our fans can see such great players in action in person.

As a former player, I can just tell them to never give up and to never stop putting in the hard work. I think for the younger players, it is easy to get swept up in the emotions of representing your country at the grandest stage at the Continental level and hence, I would advise them to first take care of themselves before they think about the national flag.

You need to be confident in your own self in order to do well for the team. So, if all 11 players can feel that way about themselves, I have no doubt that they can do great things together for the country.

Finally, are there any clashes that you hope to see?

I want to see Korea Republic and Japan play each other but I don’t want them to lock horns anytime sooner than the Final. If that happens, it would be amazing!