"Abandoning Oh Hyun-kyu was a crime; the manager cannot be forgiven"... Fans of Oh Hyun-kyu's former club, Celtic FC, were devastated by his World Cup comeback goal.

*This content was translated by AI.

Fans of Oh Hyun-kyu's former club, Celtic FC (Scotland), were devastated by news of the 25th-year-old South Korean national team striker's World Cup comeback goal. They expressed regret and anger over the club's decision to let him leave without giving him sufficient opportunities.

Scottish media outlet The Scotsman reported on the 12th (Korea time) that "as Oh Hyun-kyu continued his remarkable upward trajectory even after leaving Celtic FC by scoring a wonderful goal at the World Cup, all Celtic FC fans said the same thing." According to the report, Celtic FC fans lamented that they should have kept Oh Hyun-kyu or at least admitted they "sold him too early."

The South Korean national team, led by manager Hong Myung-bo, secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the first match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup qualifiers, held at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico, on this day. With this result, South Korea earned valuable three points and started the tournament on a high note.

The path was not easy. Although South Korea controlled the flow of the match, they swallowed their frustration due to a lack of finishing power. Instead, they conceded the opening goal in the 14th minute of the second half to Czech defender Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton), falling behind 0-1. However, South Korea equalized in the 22nd minute of the second half with a skillful chip shot from midfielder Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord).

The final solution was Oh Hyun-kyu. Oh Hyun-kyu, who was substituted in the 24th minute of the second half to replace "Captain" Son Heung-min (LAFC), scored the winning goal. In the 35th minute of the second half, Oh Hyun-kyu, positioned in front of the goal, finished off a pass from Hwang In-beom from the wing. Although Oh Hyun-kyu was positioned behind the opposing defenders, he took one more step to create a shooting opportunity and sealed the victory.

Ultimately, South Korea turned the match around and held off the Czech Republic's attacks until the end, securing three points from their first World Cup match.

The Scotsman praised the match, stating, "South Korea overturned the first match 2-1 despite being a goal down. Oh Hyun-kyu's winning goal, which began with Hwang In-beom's excellent play, was a great example of the striker play he has been showing at Besiktas."

After the South Korea-Czech Republic match, Celtic FC fans poured out their regrets. One fan reacted strongly, saying, "We will never forgive former manager Brendan Rodgers for letting Oh Hyun-kyu go and bringing in Adam Idah. This was a crime."

Another fan expressed regret, saying, "We sold a decent striker in Oh Hyun-kyu. I always thought he was a good player. He just didn't get enough opportunities to prove his value at Celtic FC."

Similar reactions followed. One fan said, "I can't believe that manager Rodgers did not properly evaluate Oh Hyun-kyu," while another fan wrote, "Oh Hyun-kyu was a very likable player despite his short time here. He has been doing really well since leaving Celtic FC. I can't help but think, 'What if he had stayed with our team?'" There were also responses such as, "We sold Oh Hyun-kyu too early. This is how Celtic FC operates."

One fan evaluated, "Oh Hyun-kyu did not get many opportunities at Celtic FC, but he could have certainly become the striker Celtic FC needed. He scored at the World Cup and is performing well at Besiktas so far."

Celtic FC is Oh Hyun-kyu's former club. Oh Hyun-kyu, who came from the K League club Suwon Samsung, transferred to the prestigious Scottish club Celtic FC through the January 2023 winter transfer market. However, he struggled in the competition for a starting spot. He failed to secure consistent playing time and eventually had to leave Celtic FC.

However, Oh Hyun-kyu did not give up. He proved his value at KRC Genk (Belgium), received positive evaluations, and transferred to Besiktas, one of the prestigious clubs representing Turkey, in February.

Oh Hyun-kyu immediately unleashed a goal storm at Besiktas. After moving to the team, he recorded six goals and one assist in 13 league matches, establishing himself as a key attacker. Even while wearing the Genk jersey in the first half of the season, he scored six goals and provided three assists in 20 Belgian league matches. On top of that, he emerged as the hero leading South Korea to a comeback victory in the first match of the 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup group stage.

Coincidentally, Celtic FC is looking for a definite striker. It is a situation where Oh Hyun-kyu is more missed than ever. The Scotsman reported that "as Celtic FC embarks on another major squad overhaul, it is highly likely they will attempt to sign one, or perhaps two, strikers this summer." The report added, "It would be understandable if Celtic FC fans felt complex emotions when Oh Hyun-kyu wrote another page in his career with his performance against the Czech Republic."

After the match against the Czech Republic, Oh Hyun-kyu revealed his overwhelming feelings through a broadcast interview, saying, "It is an emotion that cannot be explained in words."

His physical condition was not normal either. Oh Hyun-kyu shared a behind-the-scenes story, stating, "Actually, my body was not in good shape before this match. My fever reached 38 degrees, and I wondered if I could even play. However, thanks to manager Hong Myung-bo and the staff who treated me extremely well, I was able to play and even scored a goal."

He did not hide his excitement about the World Cup stage. Oh Hyun-kyu said, "Just being able to play at the World Cup is moving and I am grateful. I am glad that manager Hong Myung-bo gave me the opportunity, and I even scored a goal."

Now, attention turns to the next match. South Korea will face host nation Mexico in the second group stage match. Oh Hyun-kyu vowed, "We will continue this winning momentum in the next match against Mexico. We will prepare humbly, especially since the opponent is the home team."

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*This content was translated by AI.