Players of South Korea pose to take photo before their group game against Norway at the FIFA Women's World Cup at Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims, France, June 17, 2019. /VCG
Though the new coronavirus is spreading fast in South Korea, the country's women's national football team have insisted on playing at home in the coming AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament playoff games against China, according to Tencent Sports.
According to the current schedule, South Korea will first meet China at home on March 6 and then go to Australia, where China will use as their home, to play the second-leg game. The winner will be qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
However, the virus has spread around South Korea faster than expected. By Wednesday, there were already over 1,000 confirmed cases in the country. The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships which had been scheduled to happen in Busan was delayed to June.
Players of China sing the National Anthem of China before the game against Australia in the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in in Sydney, Australia, February 13, 2020. / VCG
Under such circumstances, the Chinese Football Association have been keeping in touch with the Asia Football Confederation (AFC), the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the Football Federation Australia (FFA) to explore the possibility of holding the game in a third-party location.
Nonetheless, South Korea don't want to change. The worry that playing in a third-party as home will have negative impact on their players and home advantage is necessary for the team to make the Summer Olympics.
If the game on March 6 happens in South Korea, it is likely to happen behind closed doors for health concerns.
China's women's national football team are currently training in Australia. The outbreak of the new coronavirus forced the team play in this country as their home. China's best record in the Olympics was runner-up in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. By contrast, South Korea have never been qualified for the Olympics.