They may be the only Asian nation to reach the semi-final of a FIFA World Cup, and they may have participated in the tournament more than any other Asian side, but on the continental stage, Korea Republic have struggled to reach similar heights in recent times.

In the past 59 years Korea Republic have reached the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals on eight occasions and the final in four, yet Asia's most prestigious trophy remained elusive.

Son, who arrived in Bandung on Monday to join the Korea Republic U-23 squad, said he will use the coming days to familiarise with his teammates.

"I have to get friendly with other younger teammates," he said. "I'll approach them first and will give them some advice. It's my job to help my teammates to play their best game."

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the men's national football team will take on Costa Rica at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul, on September 7 and play Chile in Busan, 450 kilometres southeast of the capital, on September 11.

The friendlies will be Korea Republic's first two matches after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, where they suffered a group stage exit but scored a fantastic 2-0 win over 2014 champions Germany.

The friendlies are part of Korea Republic's preparations for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, where the East Asians are in Group C with China PR, Kyrgyz Republic and the Philippines.

Defending champions Japan, taken to a penalty shootout by tournament debutants Jordan, were staring elimination squarely in the face. Shunsuke Nakamura and Alessandro Santos had missed Japan’s first two spot-kicks and elimination looked a distinct possibility.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced several additions to the Socceroos staff on Thursday as Australia’s senior men’s national football team transitions into a new era under one of the A-League’s most successful managers.

Highly experienced Dutch coach René Meulensteen has been appointed as an Assistant Coach to Arnold, while Andrew Clark (High Performance Coordinator (Sports Science), Phil Coles (High Performance Coordinator (Physiotherapy), and Doug Kors (Senior Technical Analyst) have also joined the Socceroos set-up.

Cuper, 62, whose most recent job was with the Egyptian national team, told journalists in the capital Tashkent that Uzbekistan can be "a strong team in Asia" after he was greeted at the airport by dozens of boisterous fans.

Cuper's contract with the "White Wolves" as Uzbekistan's national team is known, runs three years with the possibility of a one-year extension which would take him beyond the 2022 World Cup in Qatar if triggered. 

His first major assignment will be the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 where Uzbekistan are in Group F with Japan, Oman and Turkmenistan.

Despite his young age, Musa Al Taamari's pace, skill and goals have lit up the 2018 AFC Cup as he drove Al Jazeera into their first ever Zonal Final where they face reigning champions Air Force Club later this month. His impressive displays have been rewarded with a transfer to 27-time Cypriot champions APOEL, perennial contenders in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

As he takes on the challenge of moving to a new continent, one of Asia's brightest young talents will also be hoping to inspire Jordan to success in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in a few months' time. Al Taamari spoke to the-AFC.com about his AFC Cup memories and ambitions for the future.