Haiti steps up to replace Iran for friendly match

No Iran, no problem. The Korean men’s football team will square off against Haiti for the Sept. 6 friendly match in Incheon, Gyeonggi.

The Korea Football Association made the announcement following Iran’s unexplained cancellation earlier in August.

Haiti is ranked 74th by FIFA compared to the 56th-ranked Korea, but the Caribbean country showed some potential recently as it played Italy to a 2-2 draw and lost to Spain 2-1 in friendlies in June.

This will be the third time coach Hong Myung-bo tries to figure out how to spur on the national team since taking over from Choi Kang-hee in June.

Korea is scheduled to play another friendly match against Croatia on Sept. 10, to be held in Jeonju, North Jeolla.