45 Minutes Were Enough... ‘Swansea Man’ Eom Ji-sung Explodes for a Hat Trick as South Korea Crushes Qatar 4-1 [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City finished the match in just 45 minutes.
South Korea’s national under-23 football team, seeking a fourth consecutive Asian Games title, unleashed its firepower from the opening match.
South Korea, led by head coach Lee Min-sung, crushed Qatar 4-1 in the opening Group D match of the men’s football tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, Japan, on the 15th.
Eom Ji-sung was at the heart of the victory. Lee Min-sung deployed Kim Myung-jun of Genk as the lone striker, with Eom Ji-sung, Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City and Yang Hyun-jun of Celtic in the attacking midfield line. It was a bold decision to put the European-based attacking players at the forefront.
The impact came just seven minutes into the match. Kim Ji-soo of Brentford sent a long pass forward from the back, and Eom Ji-sung controlled it brilliantly. After breaking into the space behind Qatar’s defense on the left, he entered the penalty area and found the net with a left-footed shot.
The second goal followed soon after. In the 20th minute, Eom Ji-sung capitalized on an error by the opposing defense while attempting to clear the ball. He won possession himself and finished with a right-footed shot from the center of the penalty area.
Then, in first-half stoppage time, Eom Ji-sung found the net again after receiving a pass from Lee Seung-won of Gangwon FC.
A hat trick.
Eom Ji-sung scored three goals in the opening 45 minutes, using both feet, and effectively settled the match.



South Korea finished the first half 3-0 up and continued pressing forward after the break.
In the seventh minute of the second half, Bae Jun-ho broke down the left flank and sent in a cross. Yang Hyun-jun met it with a right-footed shot, but the goalkeeper made the save. Four minutes later, Eom Ji-sung headed Choi Seok-hyun’s cross from Ulsan HD FC toward goal, and Kim Myung-jun attempted consecutive shots, but neither led to another goal.
Kim Myung-jun, who had continued knocking on the door, eventually got his goal.
In the 21st minute of the second half, Kim Myung-jun converted Yang Hyun-jun’s assist to score South Korea’s fourth goal and make it 4-0.
With the result effectively secured, Lee Min-sung withdrew Kim Myung-jun, Bae Jun-ho and Lee Seung-won in the 27th minute of the second half. He brought on Yang Min-hyeok of Westerlo, Lee Hyun-ju of Arouca and Kang Sang-yoon of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to prepare for the next match.
There was one blemish.
South Korea lost concentration during a free kick in the 40th minute of the second half and conceded to Mirwan Hassan. Qatar briefly put South Korea under pressure afterward, but South Korea held on for a 4-1 victory without conceding again.


South Korea won the men’s football title at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, securing three consecutive championships.
At the Aichi-Nagoya Games, South Korea is pursuing an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.
It made an excellent start.
It was particularly encouraging that Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City scored a hat trick in the opening match and that Kim Myung-jun also got on the scoresheet.
Fifteen countries are taking part in this tournament. They will compete in four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the eight-team knockout stage.
After beating Qatar and collecting three points, South Korea will regroup for a week before facing Saudi Arabia in its second group-stage match on the 22nd.
Four goals in the opening match, along with Eom Ji-sung’s hat trick. Lee Min-sung’s South Korea made a blazing start to its bid for a fourth consecutive Asian Games title.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter