Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min warned that the Asian Cup was “all about commitment” as South Korea look to end a 64-year title drought.
The Koreans opened their campaign in Qatar with a 3-1 win over Bahrain on Monday, in what is skipper Son’s fourth time at the tournament.
But he endured a torrid time in front of goal, missing two gilt-edged chances before suffering the indignity of a late yellow card for diving in the Bahrain box.
“We have a fantastic team and we have amazingly talented players, but it’s all about commitment,” Son said afterwards.
“We have an unbelievable team but we haven’t won it for 64 years so it means it’s quite long.
“We have just one aim — to make it special with this team and make it a special year.”
Son was outshone against Bahrain by Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in, who scored two second-half goals to dig Jurgen Klinsmann’s side out of trouble.
Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan are also in South Korea’s squad for the tournament.
Son made his Asian Cup debut in Qatar in 2011 and was part of the team that lost to Australia in the 2015 final.
He said “you can’t compare any team” from previous tournaments but he is confident in the current side’s abilities.
“I want to make a special Asian Cup for myself and for my country,” he said.
