Bae Joon-ho (Stoke City), a rising star of the national soccer team, expressed his determination to help the returning captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and contribute to the team.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will play Kuwait in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Jabeur Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time).
Currently, Korea (10 points, 3 wins, 1 draw) is ranked first, and Kuwait (3 points, 3 draws, 1 loss) is ranked fifth.
On the 12th, Hong Myung-bo was reborn as a complete team and began preparing for the match against Kuwait in earnest.
Prior to the training, Bae Joon-ho met with reporters and expressed his determination to play in two consecutive away games in the Middle East.
Bae Joon-ho filled the void of Son Heung-min, who was out due to injury, by recording help in two consecutive games against Jordan in Game 3 and Iraq in Game 4 of the tournament last month.
“It took more time to play than I thought at the last convocation and I was so happy to show you a good performance,” Bae Jun-ho said, adding, “I have (Son) Heung-min in this convocation. And I want to help (Kim) Min-jae and other brothers and help them a lot.”
Bae Jun-ho returned to England after the A-match in October, showing his further growth.
He accumulated his fourth and fifth offensive points this season by scoring help in the 13th round of the English Professional Football Championship (second division) against Derby County on the 2nd and the 15th round against Millwall on the 9th.
When asked if the call-up of the national soccer team is also linked to his team’s performance, Bae Joon-ho replied, “There are so many things to see and learn because there are many older brothers who play in high-quality leagues.”
He added, “I also learned a lot of shortcomings such as tempo and technical skills while playing the game myself. I think that’s how I go back to the team and supplement a lot and show good performance.”
Now, Bae Jun-ho is highly anticipated as a rookie who will take charge of the next generation of the national soccer team. 스포츠토토
When asked if the expectations for him are coming as a burden, he said, “I’m so grateful rather than pressure. I’m grateful for your interest in me,” adding, “Since I’m young, I think I have to show my energetic self with the spirit of youth.”
“First of all, I think the weather is not as hot as I thought and it is a very good weather to play soccer,” Bae Jun-ho said of Kuwait, the showdown site. “The grass is not in the best condition, but I think I have to adapt well because I can’t always play in the best condition.”