Is Hong Myung-bo's team easy to beat? "South Korea will win no matter what," South African striker says... "Confidence in victory even without ace"

*This content was translated by AI.

The South African national football team is vowing to defeat South Korea in the final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean, despite the setback of missing key players.

South Korea and South Africa will face off in the third match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean at the Monterrey Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. Korean time on the 25th. South Korea sits second in the group with one win and one loss (three points), while South Africa is in fourth place, last in the group, with one draw and one loss (one point).

According to South African media News24 on the 22nd, midfielder Jaden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns) expressed confidence in a victory over South Korea and qualification for the round of 32, despite the suspension of Thabo Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns).

Adams emphasized, "Although Mokoena's absence is expected to make the match difficult, we must stand up and fight with pride." He added, "The team's morale has reached its peak since the match against Czechia. We firmly believe we can beat South Korea, and all players are focused on their respective roles."

Winger Tafelo Maseko (Limassol) also expressed confidence through local media "Citizen," stating, "We have an excellent coaching staff and analysis team. We just need to implement the preparation plan they have developed for the match against South Korea." He further added, "I feel a great sense of responsibility to do something for the team, and that is the only way to achieve victory."

As the fourth-place team in the group, South Africa faces a desperate situation: to reach the round of 32, they must defeat South Korea and hope that first-place Mexico (six points) defeats third-place Czechia (one point).

In contrast, South Korea under coach Hong Myung-bo is in a more favorable position. After defeating Czechia and losing to Mexico, South Korea can qualify for the round of 32 on its own with just a draw against South Africa.

The South Korean team, led by Hong Myung-bo, arrived in Monterrey, the decisive venue, ahead of schedule, leaving Guadalajara on the 22nd. They conducted a closed tactical training session on the 23rd and a final training session on the 24th before facing South Africa on the 25th.

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*This content was translated by AI.