South Korea, which finished third in its group after losing to South Africa in its final group-stage match in Monterrey in northeastern Mexico last week, had been relying on luck, waiting for results of matches from other groups to advance, determined by points earned and goal difference.
Even a draw against South Africa would have allowed South Korea to advance, but the defeat left it with only a narrow chance of continuing its World Cup run as one of the eight best third-placed finishers.
With several possible scenarios still offering South Korea a chance, many fans had been waiting for results, only to see their hopes fade over the past few days.
Ecuador's 2–1 win over Germany and Paraguay's 0–0 draw with Australia lifted both sides above South Korea, followed by Senegal's 5–0 rout of Iraq, which saw the African side move above South Korea on goal difference despite both teams finishing on three points.
Iran added another blow by drawing 1-1 with Egypt, ending the group stage on three points and a goal difference of zero, enough to rank ahead of South Korea.
South Korea was still clinging to its final chances after those results, but Croatia's 2–1 win over Ghana pushed it deeper into danger. Croatia's victory lifted it into second place, while Ghana slipped to third on four points, still comfortably ahead of South Korea in the third-placed team rankings.
The final blow came from Group K. Uzbekistan took the lead against DR Congo, briefly keeping South Korea's hopes alive. But DR Congo responded with three unanswered goals and moved to the brink of a 3-1 win that would take them to four points.
If the scoreline holds, DR Congo will become the eighth third-placed team to finish ahead of South Korea, pushing the country out of the knockout stage regardless of the remaining Group J results.
South Korea would fall behind Sweden, Ecuador, Ghana, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paraguay, DR Congo, Senegal and Iran among the third-placed teams.
For head coach Hong Myung-bo, the exit marks another painful World Cup failure. He previously led Korea at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the country also failed to survive the group stage.
This time, the disappointment may cut deeper, given that it was grouped with the Czech Republic. also known as Czechia, Mexico, and South Africa, widely seen as manageable.
South Korea opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Czechia, raising hopes of a smoother journey to the knockout stage. But a 1–0 defeat to Mexico meant it needed a result against South Africa, and it failed to deliver when a berth was still in its own hands.
But South Korea struggled to create clear chances against the African side, lacked urgency in possession, and failed to turn long spells of pressure into meaningful attacks.
Hong's tactics also drew sharp criticism. Needing only a draw, South Korea showed little flexibility in formation or tempo and failed to adapt after South Africa cut off passing through the middle, leaving them stuck in a plan they were reluctant to change.
With a good start after winning its opener, South Korea went on to lose its two key matches and eventually saw its final hopes fade away.
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