Seoul: After South Korea pounded Kuwait 4-0 to conclude their World Cup qualifying campaign behind some strong efforts by young players Tuesday night, head coach Hong Myung-bo said he couldn't have asked for more from his charges.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea had already secured their 2026 World Cup berth by beating Iraq 2-0 last Thursday, rendering the Kuwait match at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Tuesday inconsequential. With a focus on evaluating inexperienced players in the national team context, Hong made significant changes to the lineup, introducing seven new players compared to the starting XI against Iraq. Among these, six had fewer than 10 caps prior to Tuesday's match, with defender Lee Han-beom making his international debut.
Notably, midfielder Bae Jun-ho delivered two assists, and forward Oh Hyeon-gyu scored a goal and hit the woodwork once. The defensive duo of Lee Han-beom and Kim Ju-sung effectively managed the back line. "This was a really important match for the national team going forward," Hong stated. "We will have some friendly matches coming up before the World Cup, but today was a great opportunity for our young players to gain experience. And they played so much better than I'd expected."
Although this marked South Korea's final Group B match in the third round of their qualification, Hong emphasized to the players that this was "the first match in our journey toward the World Cup." He acknowledged the uncertainties of the upcoming year and the necessity for young players to support veteran members of the team, highlighting the encouraging performance during this match.
This is Hong's second tenure as South Korea's head coach, having previously led the team around a year before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where South Korea did not advance beyond the group stage. Appointed again last summer, Hong now has a more extended preparation period leading into the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
"Over the past year or so, I've been able to learn the tendencies of my players and build strong relationships with them," Hong said. "I've been able to lay groundwork on where we should go and how we should prepare for the World Cup."