TOYOTA CITY, Japan - South Korea won men’s football gold at the Asian Games, beating hosts Japan 1-0 in the final on Oct 3 to lift the gloom after a disastrous World Cup and series of damaging controversies.

Swansea City’s Eom Ji-sung rifled in on the hour to give the Koreans their fourth straight title in front of 30,000 fans at Toyota Stadium near Nagoya.

Japan were looking to win gold for the first time since 2010 and were coached by Go Oiwa, who will take over the senior national team after the Asian Cup in 2027.

The Asian Games are contested between under-23 squads with three over-age players.

South Korea endured a miserable World Cup in North America in 2026, going out in the group stage after a shock loss to South Africa.

Coach Hong Myung-bo quit but his departure did little to quell public outrage over the disappointing campaign and added fuel to pre-existing questions about how he was hired.

Police raided Korean FA (KFA) headquarters in August as part of an investigation into Hong’s 2024 appointment.