Both teams are on three points and will vie for the second quarter-final spot in their group, with Korea Republic having an edge in terms of goal difference.
The East Asian side opened their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Indonesia but then picked themselves up to cruise 6-0 past Afghanistan. Yemen took the opposite route, beating Afghanistan 2-0 before crashing 4-1 against Indonesia, whose two wins assured them of a quarter-final spot as well as ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
Korea Republic head coach Back Ki-tae will use his understanding of Yemen’s style of play to ensure his country makes a ninth appearance on the global stage.
“They are a strong, well organised team and good at passing forward, so we will try to block them from the middle,” he said.
#AFCU17 | Group B: Vietnam 1-1 Japan
Back said the two-time champions have progressed from match to match, but would not look to reinvent the wheel.
“We will not try to come up with a new strategy but play as we have planned,” said the 46-year-old. “Team recovery is the most important thing for us right now.”
#AFCU17 | Group B: UAE 2-0 Australia
Yemen head coach Samer Saleh is also placing his players first.
“Our preparations will focus on the condition of our players,” he said. “We will then plan accordingly, but what I can reveal is that we will fix the mistakes from our last match.
“Rest assured, however, that the players will give their all and play for honour, glory and the nation of Yemen.” afc/fir
