Hong Myung-bo will try again for his “first win” after taking office.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, left for Oman, where the third Asian qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup will be held (10th) through Incheon International Airport at 1 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time).
The South Korean team, which will arrive at Muscat International Airport in Oman at 4:30 p.m. on the 7th in Korean time, will conduct an evening adaptation training.
Oman’s away victory is a ‘must’ for Hong Myung-bo.
South Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, drew 0-0 in the first round of the third qualifying round against Palestine (ranked 96th) at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who announced his departure in July amid controversy, failed to secure victory over Palestine amid boos from the spectators, adding to the burden of winning the match against Oman (ranked 76th). Since taking office, he is aiming for his first win again.
South Korea, Palestine, Oman, Iraq (55th), Jordan (68th), and Kuwait (136th) are tied in Group B of the third qualifying round.
In the third qualifying round, in which 18 countries are divided into three groups, six of the 8.5 finalists for Asia will be decided. The first and second place finishers in each group will advance to the World Cup finals. The third and fourth place finishers will compete in the fourth qualifying round for the remaining two tickets. The fifth and sixth place finishers will be eliminated.
South Korea, which started with one draw, remains tied for fourth in the group.
Oman, which is ranked last in the group, also wants to win. It lost 0-1 in the first away match against Iraq on Sunday, and is focusing all of its attention on winning the match against Korea at home.
After the match against Palestine, Hong said, “We have to prepare well for the rest of the time. It’s an away game. We have to start over from tomorrow on how to prepare tactically. The most important thing is condition. I have physical and physical difficulties. We have to decide the starting lineup after checking the players’ conditions.”
South Korea also needs a victory over Oman to control the chaotic atmosphere.
South Korean players who played in the match against Palestine were affected by the booing aimed at the Korea Football Association (KFA) and coach Hong Myung-bo.
Defender Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) faced off with Korean fans for a while after the game. He explained the reason why he visited the fans, saying, “It’s a shame that I don’t want to be able to do it before it even starts.”
However, the national team’s cheering squad ‘Red Devils’ countered, “At no point did they cheer ‘hope not to’ or ‘wish to lose’, adding, “Yayoo and protest are about the KFA, which is consistent with lies, and the coach who has abandoned his beliefs.”
“I think Kim Min-jae, who desperately wanted to win, did it because he was disappointed and misunderstood. However, the way and place of expression are very unfortunate,” he pointed out.
Even signs of cracks between players and fans, which are rare in the Korean national team, are surrounding the national team. The least way to calm down angry public sentiment is to win against Oman.
“The (fans’) sincere support and support are the driving force for (players) to play in harmony,” Son said. “I have no shame, but please give me a lot of support and love from now on.” 메이저놀이터
Lee Kang-in also said, “I believe Coach Hong Myung-bo will make me play good soccer. I will make a lot of efforts to produce good results with the coach and coaching staff in the future. Of course, the soccer fans will be very disappointed and angry, but I hope you will pay more attention.”