South Korea's national soccer team suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat to South Africa, jeopardizing their chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup. Head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed disappointment following the match.
The South Korean team, under Hong's leadership, lost to South Africa in their final group stage match at the Monterrey Stadium on June 25 at 10 a.m. KST.
With this loss, South Korea finished the group stage with a record of one win and two losses, earning three points. Meanwhile, Mexico secured the top spot in the group with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, finishing with nine points. South Africa moved into second place with four points after their win against South Korea.
As a result, South Korea dropped to third place in the group. Fortunately, they avoided direct elimination thanks to Mexico's victory over the Czech Republic.
In a post-match interview, Hong stated, "We were anxious after conceding the first goal. It was disappointing to allow an early score. Nevertheless, I believe we did our best." He also explained that key defender Kim Min-jae was substituted due to a calf injury.
South Korea's chances of advancing to the knockout stage are now uncertain. In this tournament, which features 48 teams, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will qualify for the next round. South Korea will need to monitor the outcomes of other groups to see if they can secure a spot in the Round of 32.
The outlook is not promising. Prior to the South Korea-South Africa match, six other third-place teams had already secured at least three points. Notably, Paraguay (Group D), Sweden (Group F), Algeria (Group J), and Croatia (Group L) all have three points but have played one fewer match.
If two or more third-place teams finish with the same points, rankings will be determined by goal difference, total goals scored, fair play points, and FIFA rankings. Currently, South Korea has a goal difference of -1 and has scored two goals.
Hong concluded, "The disappointing result is entirely my responsibility. I do not know what the future holds, but the accountability lies with me."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.