Seoul: Young players thrust into the lineup for South Korea's final World Cup qualifying match Tuesday night capitalized on their opportunity and helped their team to an easy win. South Korea beat Kuwait 4-0 to conclude Group B play in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea had already qualified for the 2026 World Cup by beating Iraq 2-0 last Thursday. Tuesday's match presented head coach Hong Myung-bo with an opportunity to test young and inexperienced players in the national team setting, under relatively little pressure. Among seven new players who entered the starting lineup, midfielder Bae Jun-ho and striker Oh Hyeon-gyu stood out with notable performances.
Bae, in just his eighth international match at age 21, orchestrated South Korea's first two dangerous chances in the first half. He first saw his header deflect off a defender and hit the right post in the 11th minute, and then tested goalkeeper Sulaiman Abdulghafoor with a well-struck shot from the left side of the box in the 19th minute. In the second half, Bae transformed into a playmaking wizard, setting up Lee Kang-in's goal with a defense-splitting pass in the 51st minute. He also assisted Oh with a header down Hwang In-beom's cross deep in the box just three minutes later.
Bae, reflecting on his performance, expressed his determination to seize his opportunity. "I wanted to be safe and not make mistakes," the Stoke City midfielder said. "I wanted to show as much as I can because I won't have that many chances to start, and I think I did that. It's an honor to be with the national team."
Oh Hyeon-gyu, who had also scored against Iraq as a second-half substitute, may have an inside track to the starting forward position after his performance. "I was just so happy to get this start, and I got emotional listening to our national anthem at the start," Oh said. "The coach gave me a chance to play, and I wanted to reward him with a goal. I am happy to have made the most of my chance here."
Oh, 24, was part of the national team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as an emergency backup but did not see any action. This time, he could potentially secure the starting striker role. "The next year or so will be really crucial. I will have to establish myself as a starter with my club before I can come here and start for the national team," said the forward for the Belgian club KRC Genk.
With the pressure of having to qualify for the World Cup lifted, Oh and his teammates embraced the opportunity to enjoy themselves on the field. "We talked before the match about how we should try to have fun," he said. "And we all played with a ton of confidence. I think we young guys produced some positive energy tonight."