'A poor performance' against South Africa, the weakest team... Hong Myung-bo's squad barely held a scoreless draw [World Cup On-Site Analysis]

*This content was translated by AI.

It was truly a frustrating and disappointing first half. Although it appeared to be a favorable position on the surface, once the game began, South Korea was constantly shaken by South Africa's sharp counterattacks and barely managed to avert a goal-scoring crisis.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, played the final third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the CONCACAF region against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. (Korea time) on the 25th.

The first half was nothing short of a poor performance. South Korea was significantly outshot 4 to 9 in total shots and 1 to 3 in shots on target. It was not just a matter of statistics; in terms of actual gameplay, South Korea completely surrendered the initiative to South Africa, widely regarded as the weakest team, and was dragged along throughout the first half.

South Korea, with one win and one loss (three points) in their previous two matches, sits second in the group. South Africa, with one draw and one loss (one point), remains in fourth place, the bottom of the group. On this day, South Korea would secure a spot in the Round of 32 by finishing second in the group with just a draw, while South Africa must win to move up to third or second place and aim for the tournament knockout stage.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo made bold tactical changes for this match. He sat captain and ace Son Heung-min (LAFC) on the bench and deployed a 3-4-1-2 formation with Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) as the front two.

Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) was positioned in the second-line playmaker role, while Lee Tae-seok (Austria Vienna), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) lined up in the midfield and wide areas to serve as the link between defense and attack. The defensive line was built with Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland) as a back three, with Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) guarding the goal.

South Africa countered with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Evidence Makgopa started at the front, supported by Oswyn Apollis, Lelobohile Mopoken (both Orlando Pirates), and Tafelo Maseko (Rimouski) in the second line. The midfield was guarded by Sphelele Sithole (Tondela) and Talente Mbuyisa (Orlando Pirates), while the back four consisted of Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ime Okon (Hannover), Mbekeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire), and Liso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns). Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns) wore the goalkeeper gloves.

South Korea attempted to seize the initiative with strong pressure in the early first half, but South Africa thoroughly exploited the space behind South Korea's back three with direct long balls. Just four minutes into the first half, a long pass from goalkeeper Williams nearly collapsed the South Korean defense, leading to a one-on-one opportunity for Mopoken. Fortunately, Mopoken's touch error allowed South Korea to breathe a sigh of relief.

South Korea also launched a counterattack. In the eighth minute, Hwang In-beom passed wide, and Seol Young-woo delivered a cross. Lee Kang-in connected with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box after Lee Tae-seok delivered another cross from the opposite side, but it narrowly missed the right side of the goal. Up until this point, South Korea's compact line effectively blocked South Africa's passing lanes, making it seem as though South Africa struggled even to cross the halfway line.

However, South Korea's concentration sharply declined after the middle of the first half. In the 19th minute, a sharp through pass from South Africa completely exposed the space behind South Korea's defense. Maseko attempted a decisive left-footed shot in front of the goal, but Lee Ki-hyuk's persistent tackle managed to clear the ball and avert a goal-scoring crisis. Shortly after, around the 22nd minute, a hydration break due to the heat seemed to allow both teams to regroup.

But the uneasy flow continued even after the break. South Korea faced a critical crisis that was almost a goal. A fatal passing error by Lee Ki-hyuk in the midfield immediately led to a South African counterattack. Mbuyisa's powerful first shot was barely punched away by Kim Seung-gyu, but in a completely open situation with no defensive pressure, Makgopa connected with another shot. Fortunately, the ball went straight into Kim Seung-gyu's arms, averting a goal-scoring crisis, but the scene exposed the complacency of the defensive line.

Repeated passing errors in the central area left the defensive and midfield lines completely out of sync. A similar pattern of danger struck again in the late first half. A single pass from South Africa created a large gap between South Korea's left defender and center-back, which Maseko exploited by aggressively charging into the box and unleashing a dangerous left-footed shot that narrowly missed the crossbar.

Although the first half ended scoreless, it was a result that left Hong Myung-bo's team in urgent need of tactical adjustments and a morale boost.

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*This content was translated by AI.