Street cheering for U-20 nat'l football team to begin 5 a.m. Friday

Sports 18:51 June 08, 2023

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- The street cheering event for South Korea's semifinal match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup will begin at 5 a.m. Friday, one hour before the kickoff.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Thursday that local authorities gave their final approval earlier in the day for the outdoor viewing event at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.

South Korean players wrap up a training session for the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Estancia Chica training complex in La Plata, eastern Argentina, on June 7, 2023. (Yonhap)

The KFA will organize the event with Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Red Devils, the official supporters group for national football teams. The KFA said the Federation of Korean Industries, the sports ministry and the Seoul government will sponsor the cheering event.

South Korea will battle Italy for a ticket to the championship match at the U-20 World Cup at La Plata Stadium in La Plata, eastern Argentina, for a 6 p.m. Thursday kickoff local time, or a 6 a.m. Friday start in Seoul.

Gwanghwamun Square will host its first outdoor cheering party since South Korea's round of 16 match against Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in December 2022.

South Korea will try to reach the final for the second consecutive U-20 World Cup. They finished runners-up to Ukraine in 2019, and the 2021 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seoul has held outdoor cheering events for U-20 World Cup matches on five previous occasions, most recently for the 2019 final.