Defensive Anchor Kim Min-jae: "My Role Is to Push the Team from Behind"

Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), the defensive anchor of the national football team, has expressed his determination to lead the team to victory by faithfully fulfilling his role of supporting the squad from the back, ahead of their final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During a pre-match press conference for the final Group A game against South Africa, held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, today (the 24th), Kim said, "South African players are skillful and fast, so we are focusing on those aspects in our defensive preparations." He added, "I believe that if we play as a team just like we did in the last two matches, we can win."
The national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face South Africa in their third group stage match at the same stadium on the 25th at 10:00 a.m.
After defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 and losing 0-1 to co-host Mexico, the Hong Myung-bo squad currently sits in second place in Group A (3 points). A draw against South Africa would be enough to secure a spot in the Round of 32 as the group runner-up.
Although they have missed out on the top spot in the group to Mexico (6 points), this match against South Africa is an opportunity for the team to boost their confidence ahead of the next round.
While South Africa is considered the weakest team in Group A, they demonstrated their potential by dominating the second half of their match against the Czech Republic, ending in a 1-1 draw.
As the opponent cannot be taken lightly, the defensive line, including Kim, remains vigilant.
When asked about the assessment that he is performing well as the "leader" of the defense, Kim laughed and said, "I don't give the players much feedback. Our players are already full of confidence individually. I don't know why I'm being praised so much."
He continued, "I don't think I'm leading the team; rather, I see myself as pushing them from behind. I emphasize a lot that it is important for everyone to become one on the pitch."
In the previous two matches, Kim Min-jae, Lee Han-beom (FC Midtjylland), and the "surprise selection" K-Leaguer Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) have worked in harmony as a starting back three.
Kim praised his teammates, saying, "The players forming the back three lacked confidence and looked lost before coming to the World Cup, but once the tournament started, they have been playing really well. Everyone is a player with sufficient ability."
He added, "As my role is that of a sweeper, I am trying to help the other players move forward and play aggressive defense. They say they've received help in that regard, but I am just doing my job, and the other two are also performing their roles well. It seems they are showing good performances because their confidence has grown significantly."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.