"It was harder during the Qatar World Cup," Hwang In-beom, burning with determination, said, "I will not let my guard down for a single moment... We can beat South Africa." [World Cup On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), a key midfielder for the South Korean national football team, set aside the regret of the loss against Mexico and expressed strong confidence ahead of the final group stage match against South Africa.

The South Korean national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat against Mexico in the second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A qualifiers at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the morning of the 19th (Korea time).

Hwang In-beom, who recorded one goal and one assist in the first match against the Czech Republic and was under intense pressure from Mexico in this match, played the full 90 minutes alongside Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), maintaining the midfield even as key players were substituted.

After the match, Hwang In-beom recalled memories from the Qatar World Cup in the mixed zone. He stated, "Looking back, the current situation is far better than at the end of the second match of the last World Cup. At that time, we only had one point and had to win against Portugal in the final match, which created a heavier mental burden." He added, "If the team prepares well for the South Africa match during the remaining period, we will be able to bring happiness to many people again with good performance and results."

Mexico, known for its strength in quick transitions, aggressively pressured the Hong Myung-bo-led team from the start of the match. Hwang In-beom explained the early tactical approach, saying, "We expected the opponent to press hard from the beginning. Therefore, we intentionally targeted the space behind them, and we discussed not forcing build-up play in the early stages to avoid losing possession."

He further added, "From the 15th to the 20th minute of the first half, Korea maintained possession of the ball continuously." He noted, "Mexico is not a team that enjoys running without the ball, so when we increased our possession, the opposing players became frustrated and angry with each other. That part unfolded exactly as we intended."

However, Hwang In-beom calmly analyzed, "The regrettable part is that we failed to create more attacking and threatening scenes. We need to reflect on this as a team and focus on improving it when preparing for the next match."

He also mentioned coach Hong Myung-bo's tactical instructions during the hydration break in the first half. Hwang In-beom revealed, "At that time, we were already gradually playing with possession. The coach wanted me and Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City) not to be isolated in the center, but to have one or two players drop down to receive the ball. He also instructed Lee Kang-in to create situations where he could gain an advantage."

Finally, he did not lower his guard against the final opponent, South Africa. Hwang In-beom said, "African teams like South Africa, as we felt in the match against Ghana in the last tournament, cannot be taken lightly for even a moment." He recalled, "When Korea equalized from 2-0 to 2-2, we thought it was enough, but we were caught off guard. They have excellent speed derived from their natural strength and physicality."

He then vowed, "We will focus on the fact that even a moment of complacency can completely change the course of the game. If we execute our prepared football properly, we will definitely be able to win the third match."

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*This content was translated by AI.