Popular travel YouTuber Kwaktube could not hide his disappointment and emptiness after witnessing the South Korean national football team's defeat against South Africa live at the stadium.
On June 25, a video titled "Vivid Live Review of the Horrible South Africa Match - Mexico (The End)" was uploaded to Kwaktube's YouTube channel. Previously, Kwaktube visited Monterrey, Mexico, in partnership with a domestic beer brand to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match between South Korea and South Africa live.
After traveling through Guadalajara and arriving in Monterrey, he expressed concern over the heatwave, saying, "The temperature here is similar to the Middle East. It's hotter than it was in Qatar. We're in trouble." However, he remained confident about advancing to the Round of 32, adding, "I heard our chances are around 91%. It feels similar to the Qatar World Cup. I've already bought plane tickets to watch the match in the U.S. I think we'll win in a landslide, 3-0."
However, contrary to expectations, the match was deeply frustrating. South Korea suffered a 1-0 defeat against South Africa in their third Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, held at the Monterrey Stadium in Nuevo León, Mexico, on June 25 (KST). Following a lackluster performance, South Korea failed to secure automatic qualification on their own and must now rely on the results of other matches to determine their fate.
Throughout the match, Kwaktube expressed his frustration, saying, "We are playing almost entirely in their half, but we can't get that final point," noting that while the build-up play wasn't bad, the final pass, crosses, and finishing were lacking. When the match ultimately ended in a 1-0 defeat, he expressed his emptiness, saying, "It feels like a dream. I can't pull myself together. I thought we would at least get a draw. I'm so angry right now that I'm speechless."
Leaving the stadium, Kwaktube lamented, "Today, it was almost exclusively Korean fans. Everyone spent their own money to come and cheer. The tickets weren't cheap, but the performance was terrible. Today, I felt like we all got heatstroke together." He then strongly criticized the team, saying, "What I realized while watching football is that it ultimately comes down to the manager. Isn't football a manager's game? Today's match was the worst among all the matches I've ever watched live. The score wasn't the issue; the performance itself was just too poor."
Even if the South Korean team advances in third place, Kwaktube will not be able to watch the next match due to a conflict with his schedule in Los Angeles, USA. He added, "This is the end of my football trip. If the national team advances, I won't be able to watch them in person, but I will cheer for them until the end."
Meanwhile, the appearance of Son Heung-min's father, Son Woong-jung, in Kwaktube's video drew attention, but that portion of the content has since been blurred out.
Photo = Capture from Kwaktube's YouTube channel
kykang@sbs.co.kr
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