Hwang Ui-jo, 31, is in danger of losing his Premier League challenge. At the end of last year, he was temporarily banned from the national team due to his personal life. It's safe to say that his career has taken a turn for the worse since joining Nottingham Forest. But France, making their first appearance in Europe, remembered Hwang.
The Ligue 1 club took to its official website on Monday (July 11) to honor the star of Asian soccer.
While Europe and South America hold their continental cups in the summer, Africa and Asia hold theirs in January. The Ligue 1 secretariat reached out to players who have played on the French stage ahead of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which will be held in Qatar from January 12.
"The AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) may be the big story, but it's not the only continental tournament taking place this month. We decided to take a look at some of the stars of the continent's soccer scene. African soccer is so influential that nearly 60 players from Ligue 1 alone are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations. However, there"s the Asian Cup, which is the second oldest in the world. It"s a continental Asian tournament where 24 teams compete for the title. There are a lot of Ligue 1 stars who have impressed in the French league in the past."
Among the five players selected by Ligue 1 was Hwang Ui-jo. According to the Ligue 1 secretariat, "Hwang played for Girondins Bordeaux from 2019 to 2022. He had a difficult debut season, but he worked hard under coach Jean-Louis Cassette. He was an effective striker despite the team's relegation battle. He was not called up for the 2023 Asian Cup, but is an important striker for South Korea. He currently plays for England."
Hwang was part of the gold medal-winning team alongside Son Heung-min at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, where he played as a No. 9 striker under Paulo Bento. He left J-League side Gamba Osaka in 2019 to join Bordeaux.
As the French Ligue 1 secretariat noted, he didn't fit perfectly into the team's plans at first. But he did his best to survive in Europe's top five leagues and made his presence felt on the wing with six goals and two assists in 24 games.
In his second season, he moved back to the No. 9 role after playing on the wing. When Hwang Ui-jo was given the task of playing as a frontline striker, he flourished. He opened his attacking account with an assist against Angers in Round 2 and then scored his first goal of the season against Saint-Etienne in Round 15. He scored his first multi-goal game of the season at home to Angers in Round 21, and his form picked up as he scored in two consecutive matches, reaching double figures with 12 goals and three assists in 36 games.
After establishing himself in the No. 9 role for Bordeaux, Hwang exploded into a key attacking role for the team, scoring his first Ligue 1 hat-trick against Strasbourg in Round 22 of the following season. "He plays like Edinson Cavani," French soccer expert Eric Varier said of Hwang's performance. He's a frontline striker, but he plays selflessly. He works a lot. He is so dedicated to the team that he gets his jersey soaked every game. Works tirelessly in any position. His goal-scoring pace is unbelievable, even if he is sometimes indecisive in front of goal."
Despite scoring 11 goals and two assists in 32 Ligue 1 games that season, he did not stay with Bordeaux. The team struggled and dropped to the second division despite Hwang's brilliance. He was then linked with Ligue 1 clubs such as Strasbourg and Stade Rennes, but opted to join promotion side Nottingham Forest and challenge for the Premier League.
He wanted to play on his dream stage, but the reality was not easy. Nottingham Forest didn't see Hwang as a first-team option and sent him out on loan for two seasons. In South Korea, he was investigated by the police for illegal filming at the end of last year. The Korean Football Association decided to provisionally ban Hwang from the national team after a meeting that lasted more than an hour and a half. Hwang recently returned to his original club after a half-season with Norwich City, where he is focusing on recovering from a hamstring injury.
France's Ligue 1 also highlighted Park as an Asian soccer star. They wrote: "At 38 years old, Park is still playing in South Korea. Playing for AS Monaco from 2008 to 2011, Park made a big impression. He helped AS Monaco reach the final of the Coupe de France (French FA Cup) in the 2009-10 season. He was often plagued by injuries, but when he was fit, he scored regularly." 카지노사이트777
There was also Australian Robbie Slater. "He wasn't the first Australian to play in France, but he had a pretty good career," says Ligue 1. He was named Oceania Player of the Year in over 100 games before Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)."
Two Japanese players were then highlighted. He recalled Hiroki Sakai (2016-2021), who played for Olympique Marseille: "He was a very versatile fullback. He missed the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but he was a great player for Marseille during his career. He played nearly 200 games and helped the club reach the UEFA Europa League final. In the 2018-19 season, he was named Marseille's Player of the Year."
For Enji Kawashima, who played for FC Metz (2016-2018) and Strasbourg (2018-2023), "I was a backup in the Ligue 1. At the end of his career, he was behind players like Mats Sels and Thomas Didilon. Kawashima made 60 appearances in the French Ligue 1.He played close to 100 games for the Japanese national team, including the 2019 Asian Cup. He was a very important player for the Japanese national team."