"If You Have a Problem With It, Come Out at 23": Captain Lee Gi-hyuk Takes a Dig at Japan's 'U-21 Excuse' [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] "If we were so unhappy about competing as 23-year-olds, Japan could have competed with a team of 23-year-olds as well."
After South Korea men’s national football team defeated eternal rival Japan on Japanese soil and won the gold medal, captain Lee Gi-hyuk (Gangwon) did not hold back. He delivered blunt, emphatic criticism of Japan for citing the age gap as an excuse for its defeat.
South Korea national under-23 football team defeated Japan 1-0 in the men’s football final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 3rd, securing a fourth consecutive title. Lee Gi-hyuk missed the semifinal because of foot pain, but started the final and played through the pain after taking medication, firmly anchoring the midfield.
In the mixed zone, as the afterglow of the gold medal continued, the main topic was Japan’s "age excuse." Japan entered the tournament primarily with players under 21, while South Korea built its squad with under-23 players and wild-card selections in accordance with the rules. Some Japanese outlets and commentators subsequently pointed to the age gap as the reason for the defeat.

Lee Gi-hyuk first showed respect to the opponent. "Although Japan was playing with players under 21, their ability was impressive and they managed the game skillfully, which made us feel that we also needed to improve," he said.
But he firmly pushed back against excuses that went too far. Lee Gi-hyuk said, "It is in the rules. They chose to compete with a younger squad, and everything they said afterward was just an excuse. It did not sit well with me," adding, "If they are unhappy, Japan can come with a team of 23-year-olds next time."
He also spoke out forcefully about the tournament’s baffling organization and the South Korean flag fiasco at the medal ceremony. At the ceremony held immediately after the final, the South Korean flag was not raised on the flagpole throughout the national anthem, an unprecedented incident.
Lee Gi-hyuk pointed out, "The medal ceremony is a place to be celebrated. It was extremely disappointing that they did not even properly unfurl the South Korean flag for us after all the hard work we put in," adding, "If it was intentional, it was truly unacceptable. The fans who came to support us must have been furious as well."

Meanwhile, 2026 is expected to go down as the most dramatic year of Lee Gi-hyuk’s football career. Once virtually unknown, he was surprisingly selected for the senior national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he played three matches. He was then chosen as a wild-card player and captain for the Asian Games, securing both the gold medal and military service benefits.
The captain, who played in the final while taking antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication, calmly set his sights on his next goal. "This year was a stroke of luck. Once the opportunity came, I thought I had to seize it," he said. "However, as a wild-card player, I am not completely satisfied with my performance. I will return to my club and show that I have improved further."
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter