'Failing to beat them would be a national disgrace for Korea': South Africa's strength finally revealed, labeled the 'weakest team' in World Cup Group A

*This content was translated by AI.

The strength of the South African national team, which is in the same group as the South Korean national football team at the 2026 FIFA North American Cup, has been revealed. With a tense atmosphere marked by criticism even in South Africa over the final roster selections of some players, the team has become an opponent that the Hong Myung-bo squad must definitely defeat.

Hugo Broos, the head coach of the South African national team, announced the final 26-man roster for the North American Cup on the 28th (Korea time) at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, South Africa. With a FIFA ranking of 60th (South Korea 25th), South Africa is the lowest-ranked team in Group A and has long been evaluated as the weakest in the group. The actual lineup revealed today also showed a significant lack of weight.

In fact, of the 26th players in the final roster, a staggering 73% (19 players) are from the South African domestic league, while only five are from Europe. Even among these, the only player from a major European league is Lyle Foster of Burnley in the English Premier League (EPL), who has scored three goals this season. Notably, Burnley finished 19th in the EPL this season, confirming their relegation to the Championship (second division) for the next season.

Of course, the fact that nine players belong to Mamelodi Sundowns, a South African club that showed considerable strength by narrowly losing 3-4 to Borussia Dortmund and drawing 0-0 with Fluminense (Brazil) in a tough match during last year's FIFA Club World Cup, could be an advantage in terms of team organization. Nine players from Orlando Pirates, another South African league club, are also participating in the World Cup. However, aside from team organization, it remains uncertain how competitive the individual skills of these players will be on the World Cup stage.

In fact, there is even strong criticism regarding the selection of some Seon Su-deul-ui (CEO) team members. According to the South African football media Africa Foot, following the announcement of the final World Cup roster, various criticisms have emerged regarding Temba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), who has had few recent opportunities to play for his club, and Brandon Peterson (Kaizer Chiefs), who was left out despite showing good form. The selection of goalkeeper Ricardo Gos (Siwellele), who conceded as many as seven goals in a recent match, has also become a target of criticism.

This is 'good news' for the Hong Myung-bo squad. This North American Cup is the first time the number of participating teams in the main tournament has expanded from 32 to 48, widening the threshold for advancing from the group stage. Not only the top two teams in each group, but the top eight teams among the 12 third-placed teams will also advance to the Round of 32. It is widely analyzed that simply winning one of the three group stage matches gives a high probability of advancing to the knockout stage. The fact that South Africa's strength, as seen in their lineup, is not threatening at all is something the Hong Myung-bo squad, which desperately needs a victory, can only welcome.

According to the transfer market site Transfermarkt, the total market value of the 26th-man final roster is a staggering 142.4 million euros (approximately 248.6 billion won) for South Korea, while South Africa's is 45.3 million euros (approximately 79.1 billion won), a gap of more than three times. This clearly reflects the difference in strength between the two teams. With the gap in FIFA rankings and the disparity in player strength, it has reached a point where failing to beat South Africa would be a disgrace for the Hong Myung-bo squad. If they can definitely secure a win against the weakest team in the group, South Africa, it will be a golden opportunity to increase their chances of reaching the Round of 32. However, if the Hong Myung-bo squad suffers a 'one-hit' defeat, it could become a fatal blow beyond a simple loss.

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*This content was translated by AI.