S. Korea confirms venue for World Cup qualifier vs. China

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will host China at the country's largest football-only stadium in the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier following the visitors' excessive demand for tickets, the national football governing body said Friday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea's opener versus China in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be staged at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 1. For the final round, where 12 teams compete, South Korea are grouped with Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Qatar and Syria in Group A.

Seoul World Cup Stadium is the largest football-only stadium in South Korea and can accommodate more than 66,000 fans. The decision followed after the Chinese Football Association (CFA) demanded a maximum 50,000 tickets for their supporters hoping to see China clinch their first World Cup berth since 2002.

The KFA said it decided to sell 15,000 tickets to the CFA for seats at the south stands of the stadium. However, the KFA added if Chinese residents in South Korea and travel agencies buy tickets separately, there could be more than 30,000 Chinese fans at the match.

This match will likely set a record for the largest number of foreign supporters visiting South Korea for a football match. In November 1997, some 10,000 Japanese football fans were at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium in Seoul to watch the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Korea.

South Korea head coach Uli Stielike showed his concern last week about Chinese fans outnumbering home supporters, saying his side could be booed on home ground. To counter the Chinese crowd, the KFA said tickets for the north stands will be sold through a local online mall, which only South Koreans can access, starting from 3 p.m. on Friday. The KFA added that seats on the east and the west sides of the stadium will be sold beginning next Thursday.

"Although the number of tickets that the CFA demanded has decreased, we still don't know how many Chinese fans will be at the stadium because many Chinese travel agencies had already sold tour packages linked to the match against South Korea," said Lee Hae-doo, the head of external cooperation at the KFA. "We want our home fans to purchase their tickets quickly so that South Korean players can perform without feeling intimidated by Chinese fans."