INCHEON (Yonhap News) ― South Korean men’s national soccer team left the country on Tuesday for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Lebanon, vowing to make a triumphant return home.

Led by head coach Choi Kang-hee, the team departed for Dubai to set up an early training camp, before landing in Beirut this weekend. In the final Asian qualification round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, South Korea will face Lebanon on June 4 at 8:30 p.m. local time, which will be 2:30 a.m. on June 5 Korean time.

The match is the first of three matches in June for South Korea. It will host Uzbekistan on June 11 in Seoul and bring Iran to Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for the finale on June 18. 

Choi called the match in Lebanon “the most important game” in the ongoing round.

“We must win that game on the road, and we will then have an easier time playing two games at home,” Choi told reporters at Incheon International Airport. “Road matches in the Middle East have always been difficult.”

Choi guarded against optimism against the underdog Lebanon.

“Lebanon is in last place in our group, but it has been strong at home,” Choi said.

Choi said he isn’t too concerned about his offense, saying he has plenty of talented players. The key, Choi added, will be for his midfielders and defenders to develop chemistry in the coming days.

Striker Lee Dong-gook is one of Choi’s major offensive weapons. He has scored 10 of his 30 international goals against Middle East countries, and he will be counted on to add to that total next month.