Shock Defeat to South Africa: South Korea Fails to Secure Automatic Round of 32 Berth, Finishes 3rd in Group

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In the third match of the North and Central America World Cup group stage, South Korea suffered a 1-0 defeat against South Africa. Having slipped to third place in Group A and failing to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 32, the national team must now wait for the results from other groups.

Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story.

[Reporter]

Head coach Hong Myung-bo, who had hinted at changes to the starting lineup, played a "gambling" card by keeping captain Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung on the bench.

With Oh Hyeon-gyu at the front and Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in in the second line, the national team, which only needed a draw against South Africa to advance to the Round of 32, pressed hard from the start.

In the 2nd minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae connected with a header from Lee Kang-in's corner kick, but the ball was blocked by a defender guarding the goal. Six minutes later, Lee Kang-in's left-footed shot narrowly missed the post, leaving the team frustrated.

However, the team struggled against a fierce counterattack.

In the 19th minute of the first half, Lee Ki-hyuk made a desperate sprint to block a shot during a counterattack, and in the 30th minute, goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made consecutive saves against a long-range shot and a follow-up attempt in front of the goal, saving the team from conceding.

Having finished the first half scoreless, the national team brought on Son Heung-min for Hwang Hee-chan at the start of the second half.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Oh Hyeon-gyu's header was caught by the goalkeeper, missing a rare opportunity.

Three minutes later, the team was struck by a counterattack.

South Korea conceded a goal after allowing Maseko to score with a left-footed shot following a cross from the left flank.

Afterward, Cho Gue-sung was brought on for Oh Hyeon-gyu, but the team failed to create any significant chances and lost to South Africa 1-0.

South Africa secured a spot in the Round of 32 by moving up to second place with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. The Czech Republic, which lost to Mexico and finished with 1 draw and 2 losses, placed last in the group, while South Korea finished third with 1 win and 2 losses.

[Hong Myung-bo / National Football Team Head Coach: I am not sure what the schedule will be moving forward, but I take full responsibility for today's match result as the head coach.]

Hong Myung-bo's squad must now rank among the top 8 third-place teams across the 12 groups to advance to the Round of 32.

(Video Editing: Oh Young-taek)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.