Despite being one of the top teams in Asia,... South Korea's national football team has not won the continental title -- the Asian Cup -- in almost six decades.<br />However,... with the squad looking sharper than they have in years under an impressive new head coach,... they'll be looking to rectify that over the coming weeks in the UAE.<br />First up for the Taeguk Warriors is the Philippines.<br />Lee Seung-jae reports. <br />The last time South Korea won the Asian Cup was all the way back in 1960,... when South Korea hosted a four-team tournament,... and won all three matches for their second Asian Cup title. <br />Since then,... South Korea has fallen short every time,... but they're aiming to grab the elusive title in the UAE this year.<br />The squad begin their journey against the Philippines on Monday night in a Group C match at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.<br />The game kicks off at 10:30PM, Korea time. <br />South Korea are the favorites to top Group C with the other teams being China and Kyrgyzstan. <br />The Taeguk Warriors are ranked 53rd in the latest FIFA rankings,... fourth highest among AFC members.<br />Despite South Korea being one of the favorites to raise the trophy,... it won't be easy as the competition is bigger than ever,... expanding from a 16-team to 24-team format this year.<br />And for South Korea's Portuguese head coach Paulo Bento,... the tournament is his first big challenge since taking the reins in August. <br />Bento will be without star forward Son Heung-min for the first match,... as the Tottenham Hotspur striker is set to join up with the squad after January 13th.<br />Despite Son's absence against the Philippines,... South Korea will have enough firepower up front,... as Hwang Ui-jo, the 2018 KFA Player of the Year and the top scorer at last year's Asian Games will be the main striker.<br />The late addition of up-and-coming star Lee Seung-woo should also boost South Korea's chances of grabbing their third Asian Cup title.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News. <br />
