Five Football National Team Members Including Jo Hyeon-woo and Kwon Chang-hoon Test Positive for COVID-19... 'Bentoho Emergency'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The South Korean national football team, which traveled overseas to Austria, has been hit by a cluster of COVID-19 cases, putting the 'Bentoho' team on high alert.

On the 14th, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced, "According to FIFA regulations, the PCR tests conducted at 5 p.m. local time on the 12th confirmed that four players?goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kwon Chang-hoon (Freiburg), Lee Dong-jun (Busan), Hwang In-beom (Rubin Kazan)?and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19, totaling five individuals."

The association added, "All five are currently asymptomatic," and stated, "All players and staff are isolated in their rooms following FIFA and KFA quarantine guidelines. The health of the team is our top priority, and we are monitoring their condition closely while taking necessary measures."

Those who tested negative in this round are scheduled to undergo another PCR test at 8 a.m. local time on the 14th.

Meanwhile, the South Korean national football team, led by head coach Paulo Bento, was set to play a friendly match against Mexico at Wiener Neustadt Stadion in Austria at 5 a.m. on the 15th, followed by a match against Qatar at BSFZ Arena at 10 p.m. on the 17th.

However, due to the COVID-19 cluster within the team, the friendly match against Mexico scheduled for the 15th has become uncertain. Moreover, since the source of the infections has not been identified, there is significant concern about further spread.

The association stated, "We will review the retest results and, in accordance with Austrian authorities' guidelines, consult with the Mexican Football Association and Austrian Football Association before deciding whether to proceed with the match."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.