Bae Joon-ho (Son of Daejeon) said he watched his former team, Daejeon Hana Citizen, stay in the K League 1 in the 2024 season live.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play the fifth Group B match against Kuwait in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Jabeur Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time).
The national team, which arrived in Kuwait on the 11th, began its training in earnest on the 12th, the second day of its arrival. Bae Jun-ho, who met with reporters before starting the training, said, “I watched the game live, where Daejeon confirmed its stay. It was such good news for the player who was in Daejeon for a season and the fan who cheered for him. Thanks to this, I think I will be able to play well with a lot of strength.”
Bae Jun-ho’s hometown is Daejeon. After playing in Daejeon until last summer, Bae moved to Stoke City, a second-division English professional football club.
Last weekend, Daejeon beat bottom-ranked Incheon United 2-1 to confirm their remaining in the K-League 1. Bae was watching this moment live in the U.K.
Bae Jun-ho said, “I’ve posted comments on my brothers’ SNS accounts, and I’ve talked a lot with them (Lee Chang-geun, Kim Moon-hwan), and they were also happy. Now I think it will be a good return to the fans if we show good performance in the national team,” and said he will play against Kuwait with good energy.
Bae, who has displayed remarkable performance since his first season as a member of Stoke City, was named “Club Player of the Year” by his fans with two goals and six assists. Based on his stellar performance, Bae has consistently been selected as a member of the A-team.
In June, when he was his first pick, he scored his debut goal against Singapore, marking the birth of a new star. In October, when captain Son Heung-min was not able to be with him due to injury, he also scored help for two consecutive games to fill Son’s gap.
“I took more time to play than I thought in the last convocation. I was so happy to show you good performances again,” Bae said. “I have Son Heung-min in this convocation. I want to be a great help to Kim Min-jae and other older brothers.”
Regarding the expectations of those around him, he also said, “I’m so grateful, rather than feeling pressured. I’m grateful that you give me such attention. Since I’m young, I think I showed a lively performance in the stadium with the spirit of youth rather than pressure.” 안전놀이터
Bae Joon-ho, who added an offensive point with an assist just before the national team was called up, said, “The new coach likes and trusts me a lot. I think he’s looking for something I can do well tactically. That’s why I think I’m showing such a good performance, and it’s important for the national team to show that.”
“I don’t think I’ve lost in the last three games, and I think I’ve played not bad games. I’m confident. I think we should try to show better performances than we did in the last call-up,” he said. “When I come to the national team, there are many older brothers who play in high-quality leagues. There are so many things to see and learn, and I think I go to my team and supplement a lot of good games because I learn a lot about the tempo and technical shortcomings while playing in person.”