Seoul: South Korea defeated Kuwait 4-0 at home Tuesday to wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign in style, celebrating their early qualification for the big tournament in front of delighted supporters.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeon Jin-woo, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeon-gyu, and Lee Jae-sung each scored at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with 41,911 fans witnessing the team's final Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. South Korea, ranked 23rd in the world, secured the top spot in their group with 22 points from six wins and four draws. Kuwait, ranked 134th, finished last with five points from five draws and five losses. Jordan secured the second qualifying spot from Group B.
South Korea had already secured their World Cup berth with a 2-0 victory over Iraq last Thursday. Head coach Hong Myung-bo had expressed before Tuesday's match that the game against Kuwait would serve as a test for young and less experienced players. Hong followed through by making seven changes to the lineup from the match against Iraq, with six players having fewer than 10 caps.
The newly introduced players played a significant role in the offensive success on a cool night in Seoul. This victory marked only South Korea's second home win in five matches during the third round.
South Korea's next international fixtures will be against China, Hong Kong, and Japan at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship in July.