▲ South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo and South Africa head coach Hugo Broos answer questions during an official press conference held at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on the 23rd (local time), ahead of their Group A final match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The head coaches of South Korea and South Africa expressed contrasting reactions ahead of their "scorching showdown" in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in Monterrey, Mexico.
South Korean head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed confidence, stating that the team has prepared for this environment alongside their altitude training, while South Africa head coach Hugo Broos voiced his concerns.
South Korea and South Africa will play their final Group A match at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, at 10:00 AM on the 25th (KST).
With neither team having secured a spot in the Round of 32 yet, the fate of both squads will be decided in this single match.
South Korea only needs a draw to advance to the Round of 32, while South Africa must win to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
For both teams, adapting to the sweltering heat of Monterrey is no easy task.
Monterrey is notorious for being one of the hottest regions in Mexico.
During the day, the sun is so intense that it is difficult to even keep one's eyes open, and the air is so humid that sweat drips down one's back even while standing still.
The South Korean team, led by Hong, has focused its preparations for this tournament on adapting to the high altitude of Guadalajara, where they played their first two matches.
They spent over two weeks in a pre-tournament training camp in Salt Lake City, Utah, which sits at an altitude of 1,460 meters.
Following that, they set up a base camp in Guadalajara and recorded a respectable one win and one loss.
Monterrey, where they will face South Africa—initially considered their "easiest" opponent—has a climate completely different from the milder conditions of Salt Lake City and Guadalajara.
The temperature at 7:00 PM on the 24th (local time), when the match kicks off, is expected to be 28°C (82°F).
It will then gradually drop to 27°C (81°F) at 8:00 PM and 26°C (79°F) at 9:00 PM.
However, with humidity at 52%, the "feels-like" temperature will be much higher.
The feels-like temperature in Monterrey at 7:00 PM is forecast to be between approximately 34°C (93°F) and 40°C (104°F).
Nevertheless, coach Hong predicted that the heat would not be a major variable for the Taegeuk Warriors.
While undergoing altitude training in Salt Lake City, the team also incorporated heat adaptation programs, such as alternating between cold and hot baths after training, to prepare for high-temperature environments.
"I think there will be some difficult aspects (due to the heat), but this environment is not insurmountable," Hong said. "It is a type of humid and high-temperature weather that our players have consistently experienced (in South Korea)."
He added, "We knew about the weather in Monterrey for the third match in advance and prepared for it along with the altitude training. While we will feel the heat, I don't think it will hinder our performance."
In contrast, coach Broos did not hide his concerns.
"This level of high temperature is not something you can adapt to in a day or two. You need about one to two weeks," he said. "I don't know if being African means I adapt better to high temperatures. We will see in tomorrow's match."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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