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South Korea's World Cup hopes dim after loss to South Africa; coach takes blame

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • South Korea's national football team suffered a disappointing 0-1 loss to South Africa in their final 2026 World Cup qualifying group match.
  • Head coach Hong Myung-bo took responsibility for the team's poor performance, citing passing errors and a lack of confidence as key issues.
  • The team now awaits the results of other matches to determine if they can advance to the next round as a third-placed team, with players expressing deep regret and apologizing to fans.

South Korea's national football team delivered a lackluster performance, falling 0-1 to South Africa in their final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Head coach Hong Myung-bo accepted full responsibility for the team's struggles, admitting it was their worst game of the tournament. He attributed the defeat to numerous passing errors in the midfield, which eroded the players' confidence and led to a sense of desperation after conceding the goal.

We had the worst game of the three World Cup matches today.

— Hong Myung-boHead coach Hong Myung-bo's assessment of the team's performance.

The coach noted that the team appeared physically heavy and struggled to penetrate the opponent's defense, suggesting that playing more on the flanks might have helped manage South Africa's counter-attacks. Hong had controversially benched captain Son Heung-min for the start of the match, opting to deploy Oh Hyun-gyu as the lone striker. Hong explained this decision was a tactical choice, believing Son would be more effective in the second half when the opponent's energy waned and more space became available.

All of it is the coach's responsibility. Ultimately, I made the wrong judgments and decisions.

— Hong Myung-boHong Myung-bo taking accountability for the loss.

Son Heung-min, who came on as a substitute, expressed deep regret for not being able to contribute more to a losing effort. He conveyed his apologies to the fans, acknowledging the team's failure to secure a win when a draw would have been sufficient for advancement. Other players, including Lee Kang-in, also apologized for their performance, admitting their skills were insufficient and promising to reflect and improve.

I feel very sorry to the football fans.

— Lee Kang-inLee Kang-in's apology to the fans after the match.

Despite the grim outcome, the team's World Cup hopes are not entirely extinguished. They must now rely on favorable results from other group matches to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Players like Kim Seung-gyu and Hwang In-beom expressed a determination to prepare for any potential opportunity, emphasizing unity and a desire to seize the next chance, should it arise.

I can only say I am sorry for losing.

— Kim Min-jaeKim Min-jae's statement after being substituted due to injury.
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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