The South Korean men’s national football team will begin its quest for the elusive AFC Asian Cup title on Saturday, with an eclectic mix of veterans and neophytes hoping to end the country’s long drought at the top continental competition.

The 2015 Asian Cup will kick off Jan. 9 in Australia. According to the Korea Football Association, South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike, will leave for Sydney on Saturday and set up its base camp there.

Stielike unveiled South Korea’s 23-man roster Monday, and they will try to capture South Korea’s first Asian Cup since 1960.

The KFA said two of the 23 players, Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City and Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers, will join the rest of the national team separately after playing their respective league matches next week.

Sixteen nations divided into four groups of four will compete at the Asian Cup. South Korea has been paired with Australia, Oman and Kuwait in Group A, and its first match will be against Oman on Jan. 10 in Canberra.

South Korea will stay in the Australian capital to take on Kuwait on Jan. 13. South Korea’s final Group A contest will be against Australia in Brisbane on Jan. 17.

Stielike’s roster features three goalkeepers, eight defenders, nine midfielders and three forwards.

A dozen of those 23 players represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June.

The country was knocked out of the group phase with a draw against Russia and losses to Algeria and Belgium.

The squad is heavy with players based overseas. Six players are plying their trade in Europe, six are in the Middle East and another six are in Asian leagues outside South Korea. Five players are playing professionally in South Korea.

South Korea will play Saudi Arabia on Jan. 4 in Sydney for its final tune-up match before the Asian Cup.

If South Korea advances to the quarterfinals, it will meet either the winner or the runner-up of Group B. The four teams in Group B are Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, China and North Korea.

FC Seoul defender Cha Du-ri is the most senior member of the team at 34. He has said he will retire from international play after the Asian Cup. A son of South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun, Du-ri has been on two FIFA World Cup teams.

Kim Jin-su, a fullback for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, is the youngest player at 22. He was initially chosen for the World Cup squad this year but was later replaced by Park Joo-ho because of an ankle injury.

Cha and forward Lee Keun-ho are tied for the team lead with 70 caps, and Lee has the most international goals on the current squad with 19.

Lee Jeong-hyeop, a little-known forward for the domestic club Sangju Sangmu and easily the most surprising pick by Stielike, is the only player without prior international experience. (Yonhap)