By Michael Church, OCA Media
Toyota, Japan, October 3, 2026: Eom Ji-sung’s 61st minute winner ensured Korea defeated Japan 1-0 at Toyota Stadium on Saturday to retain the gold medal in the Asian Games men’s football final and continue the country’s dominance in the event.
Eom fired the winner into the top corner to earn the Koreans a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal and defeat the Japanese in the decider for the third final in a row.
A crowd of more than 30,000 saw Korea successfully defend the title against a Japanese side that dominated for much of the 90 minutes without finding a way past goalkeeper Kim Joon-hong.
The Koreans had first threatened through Eom in the sixth minute, the Swansea City winger cutting in from the left to force defender Tariqkani Hayato Okabe on to the back foot although the resulting shot flew high over the bar.
Three minutes later Okabe headed over the Korean crossbar before Japan’s early plans were disrupted by an injury to forward Uche Nwadike, who was stretchered off and replaced by Yuya Fukunaga.
Fukunaga was soon involved in the action, flashing his attempt across the face of goal moments after seeing Yotaro Nakajima’s low strike from the right take a deflection off the inside of Eom’s calf.
The Japanese continued to build on their encouraging first-half display after the interval.
Fukunaga fizzed his effort across the face of Kim Joon-hong’s goal three minutes into the second half while Yumeki Yokoyama dragged a shot wide six minutes later following more impressive work on the right by Fukunaga.
Japan’s dominance was to count for little as the clock ticked just past the hour mark and the Koreans went in front.
Yang Min-hyeok brushed Mihiro Sato off the ball on the right flank and burst forward to deliver a cross that Rui Araki could only palm towards Eom, and the 25-year-old eventually steadied himself to fire into the top corner from eight yards out.
With 11 minutes remaining Japan looked set to level the scores when Hisatsugu Ishii bent a first-time right-foot shot beyond Kim Joon-hong’s dive to his left, but to the relief of the goalkeeper the ball hit the post.
And while Go Oiwa’s side continued to push for the goal that would take proceedings into extra-time, Korea held on to secure another Asian Games title.
*China won the bronze medal with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Uzbekistan after a 2-2 draw earlier in the day.
Shodiyor Shodiboev scored in the 90th minute for Uzbekistan to take the game into extra-time after China’s Hu Hetao had seen his 15th minute opener cancelled out by Sardorbek Bakhromov two minutes before the interval.
Wang Yudong restored China’s lead in the 53rd minute before Shodiboev hit his late equaliser - but the 20-year-old missed in the third round of the shoot-out to allow Peng Xiao to score the winning spot-kick for the Chinese.