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🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Oh Hyun-gyu recovers from severe illness to score World Cup winner

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • South Korean footballer Oh Hyun-gyu recovered from severe dehydration and fever to score the winning goal in a World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic.
  • Team medical staff administered fever reducers and hydration, enabling his rapid recovery and crucial performance.
  • Oh Hyun-gyu expressed gratitude to the medical team, crediting their care for his ability to play and score.

South Korean forward Oh Hyun-gyu experienced a dramatic turnaround during the 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic. Just hours before the match, he was suffering from severe diarrhea and a fever of 38 degrees Celsius, leaving him too weak to leave his bed. This sudden illness threatened his debut in his first World Cup, a stark contrast to his role as a training partner four years prior.

We can't reveal the specific treatment method. It's our secret weapon. We fully anticipated problems like this at high altitudes and had all countermeasures prepared.

— Song Joon-seopSouth Korea's chief team physician explaining the medical team's preparation and intervention.

Despite the debilitating symptoms, Oh Hyun-gyu managed to recover remarkably. He entered the game in the second half and scored a thrilling winning goal in the 80th minute, securing a 2-1 victory for South Korea. This marked his first goal in a World Cup match.

On the morning of the 11th, Oh Hyun-gyu could barely get out of bed and found it difficult to even go to the restroom. He's always a confident player, but he said he couldn't possibly play the game.

— Baek Jung-gukTeam medical manager describing Oh Hyun-gyu's severe condition on the match day.

The swift recovery was attributed to the dedicated efforts of the national team's medical staff. Chief team physician Song Joon-seop revealed that they had prepared for potential issues related to the high altitude, employing a secret treatment involving fever reducers and hydration. Team medical manager Baek Jung-guk added that Oh Hyun-gyu was struggling to even get out of bed on the morning of the match but began recovering after lunch and was fit to play by the time they arrived at the stadium.

We applied the prepared treatment, and fortunately, it worked. He started recovering after lunch and was back to normal by the time we arrived at the stadium.

— Baek Jung-gukTeam medical manager detailing the successful recovery process.

Overwhelmed by his miraculous recovery and game-winning performance, Oh Hyun-gyu shared his gratitude. "All the staff and medical team members took extremely good care of me, allowing me to play in the game and score a goal," he told reporters in the mixed zone after the victory.

All the staff and medical team members took extremely good care of me, allowing me to play in the game and score a goal.

— Oh Hyun-gyuSouth Korean forward expressing his gratitude after scoring the winning goal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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