'Stormy Growth → Kim Min-jae's Closest Partner' Lee Han-beom: "Never Thought of Tying Against South Africa... We Will Win Unconditionally" [World Cup On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), a key center-back for coach Hong Myung-bo, expressed his firm determination ahead of the final group stage match against South Africa. Although a draw would secure their place in the tournament, insiders report that the squad is focused solely on victory.

The South Korean national team will face South Africa in the third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup Group A at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. on the 25th (Korean time).

After recording one win and one loss against Czech Republic and Mexico in Guadalajara, the national team arrived in Monterrey, the battleground, on the 21st.

Currently ranked second in the group, South Korea will secure its spot in the Round of 32 based on the head-to-head rule if it achieves at least a draw against South Africa. However, a loss could see the team drop to fourth place in the group.

Lee Han-beom, who played as a key figure in the back three alongside Lee Ki-hyuk (Kangwon FC) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) in this tournament, played the full 90 minutes in both previous matches. Speaking to reporters at the University Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, on the morning of the 22nd (local time), he said, "As the matches progressed, I felt the defense was becoming increasingly solid. I believe we can hold them off if we prepare well and maintain that."

Regarding his successful containment of the difficult opposing striker Julian Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah) in the previous match against Mexico, Lee handed the credit to his teammates. Lee stated, "I wasn't consciously thinking about Quiñones. I planned to defend well with Kim Min-jae and Lee Ki-hyuk. I think we managed to stop him thanks to good fortune." He added, "South Africa has players with excellent individual skills. If we prepare our defensive organization well, I believe we can stop them."

In the previous match, Kim Min-jae, as a veteran defender, also helped alleviate some of the burden on Lee Han-beom. Regarding this, Lee added, "I was able to play with trust and ease."

However, the goal conceded due to a communication error in the Mexico match remains a painful lesson. Lee said, "I didn't speak directly with (Kim) Seung-gyu, but I saw Seung-gyu and Ki-hyuk talking a lot." He continued, "When Seung-gyu moved forward to punch the ball, I was also inside the goal area. If I had prepared better, I could have stopped it. I will make sure such mistakes do not happen in the next match."

South Africa, the opponent in the third match, has a style completely different from previous opponents. Notably, many players are from Mamelodi Sundowns, a club in their domestic league. Goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD), who faced Mamelodi in last year's Club World Cup, is reported to have informed coach Hong Myung-bo about the opponent's strengths.

Lee Han-beom said, "Hyun-woo told me that the players mainly play build-up football. We also have African players on our team, so I heard about it. I also heard that other African teams play build-up football."

As a defender, he noted points of caution: "The goalkeeper is good at kicking and build-up. Instead of just being dragged into pressing, we must also be careful of the space behind."

To neutralize the relatively shorter South African players, the team is also refining set pieces. Lee Han-beom said, "I heard South Africa is shorter than Mexico and Czech Republic. I tried to prepare well for set pieces with Gyu-seong (Midtjylland)." He added, "We have talked a lot about how to play together since before the World Cup, and I think it will be good if we play together."

He also stated that changes in the defensive line are not a major concern. He explained, "I have matched more often with Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) than Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen), but I also matched well with Moon-hwan. I am not worried."

Regarding the recent buzz about Japan defeating Tunisia, Lee remained calm. He said, "Japan has many players with more European experience than us. I do not particularly admire or envy the Japanese players. We just need to focus on doing what we can do well."

The final variable is the climate in Monterrey, which is completely different from Guadalajara. Lee, who felt the heat and humidity immediately upon disembarking from the plane, said, "I felt it was hot and humid as soon as I got off the plane. I think we will be able to see how our breathing becomes labored once we start exercising." He emphasized the importance of adapting to the local conditions.

Players of the Hong Myung-bo team, including Lee Han-beom, are thoroughly eliminating any complacent mindset that a draw would be sufficient to advance. Lee stated, "Among the players, we absolutely do not think about tying. We think only about winning. We will never have a complacent mindset." He added, "We will win the South Africa match unconditionally to move to a higher position. Our goal is to bring glory and happiness to the people. We will show good results and performance."

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*This content was translated by AI.