South Korea, South Africa scoreless at halftime in World Cup qualifier

South Korea's national football team finished the first half of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa with a 0-0 scoreline. The match, held at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico, saw limited offensive action from the Korean side, with only one shot on goal compared to South Africa's three. Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu was instrumental in keeping the score level, making a critical save to deny South Africa a lead. The team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, made a strategic change, starting Oh Hyun-gyu in place of Son Heung-min, who had started the previous two matches. Currently sitting second in Group A with three points from one win and one loss, South Korea needs at least a draw against South Africa, who have one point, to advance to the round of 32. Even if third-place Czech Republic defeats group leader Mexico, South Korea holds the tiebreaker advantage over the Czechs due to their earlier victory. The team had a strong start to the match but faced significant scoring opportunities from South Africa in the latter part of the first half. Despite these challenges, the defense, including Kim Min-jae, held firm to prevent any goals.