South Korea get their 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign up and running with an opening clash against Bahrain on January 15.
Despite boasting a talented squad, South Korea have struggled to perform in recent Asian Cup appearances, with with a runners-up spot in 2015 their best performance in the last seven editions.
However, they are tipped to ease out of Group E, after being paired with Jordan, Malaysia and Bahrain, but tougher tests lie ahead in the knockout stages.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch it across the world, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
What time does South Korea vs Bahrain kick off?
This AFC Asian Cup clash takes place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar and kicks off on Monday, January 15 at 2:30 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Mon, Jan. 15 | 6:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Mon, Jan. 15 | 6:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Mon, Jan. 15 | 11:30 a.m. GMT |
| Australia | Mon, Jan. 15 | 10:30 p.m. AEDT |
| India | Mon, Jan. 15 | 5:00 p.m. IST |
South Korea vs Bahrain live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this AFC Asian Cup match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | CBS Golazo, Paramount+, Fubo USA |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | TrillerTV |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | — | FanCode |
USA: This match will be available via Paramount+ and Fubo USA.
Australia: Paramount+ will provide streaming services for the tournament.
UK: AFC Asian Cup matches can be streamed live in the UK via TrillerTV.
India: Streaming service FanCode is the place to go for AFC Asian Cup matches.
MORE: Asian Cup 2023: Fixtures, results, schedule, bracket for Qatar 2024 AFC tournament
South Korea vs Bahrain lineups, team news
South Korea have some major names within their ranks for this tournament including captain Son Heung-min. Tottenham fans will be keeping a close eye on Son's progress in the tournament which could see him miss a month of action for Spurs.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Kang-in Lee is a key part of the attack with Kim Min-jae the defensive stalwart for South Korea.
South Korea (4-4-2, right to left): S. Kim (GK) — Seol, Jeong, M. Kim, Park — L. Lee, Hwang, Hong, K. Lee — Son, J. Lee.
South Korea subs (9): TBC
Bahrain's squad is made up almost exclusively of domestic based players with striker Abdulla Yusuf Helal the only player at a European club.
Bahrain (4-5-1 right to left): Lutfallah (GK) — Adel, Benaddi, Al Hayam, Al Khalassy — Madan, Atede, Al Hardan, Khelaif, Al Aswad — Al Hashash.
Bahrain subs (9): TBC
South Korea vs Bahrain prediction
South Korea have been flagged up as second favourites to win the tournament in Qatar in behind four-times winners Japan ahead of the competition kickoff.
They should have no issue progressing through the group, with Bahrain likely to be battling with Jordan for second place, and South Korea are unbeaten in their last eight games ahead of the Asian Cup.
Prediction: South Korea 2-0 Bahrain
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