'No Castrof Again': Hong Myung-bo's Choice Points to Seol Young-woo and Kim Moon-hwan... UK Media Anticipates Lineup for South Africa Match

*This content was translated by AI.

The anticipated starting lineup for the final group stage match, which will determine the fate of the "World Cup Round of 32," has been revealed. Once again, the name of Jens Castrof (Borussia Mönchengladbach) did not appear.

The South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face South Africa in the third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and Caribbean at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. Korean time on the 25th. Currently, South Korea sits in second place in the group with one win and one loss (three points). Although they secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Czechia in the first match, they lost 0-1 to host nation Mexico in the second match. Mexico has secured first place in the group with two consecutive wins (six points).

Now, South Korea, Czechia, and South Africa are competing for second place in the group. In this tournament, the top two teams from each group and the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12th groups will advance to the Round of 32. However, securing second place is crucial for a stable entry into the tournament. Currently, Czechia and South Africa, both with one draw and one loss (one point), are chasing South Korea. South Korea's opponent, South Africa, must win to keep any chance of advancing from the group stage.

Among these, British media outlet Sportsmole analyzed the matchup between South Korea and South Africa and revealed South Korea's anticipated best 11. The outlet predicted that South Korea would continue to deploy a three-back formation.

The formation is expected to be 3-5-2-1. Sportsmole anticipates Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo) guarding the goal, with Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC) forming the three-back. These three players started both the first and second group stage matches and have developed strong chemistry.

The position that has seen the most changes in this tournament is undoubtedly the wide wing-backs. Sportsmole predicts that Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen) and Seol Young-woo (Zvezda) will start against South Africa. Seol Young-woo played as the right wing-back against Czechia and as the left wing-back against Mexico. This time, he is expected to take the left wing-back role.

If these predictions hold, Castrof will once again have to postpone his World Cup debut. Castrof is the only wide defender in this tournament who has not played a single minute. Young players Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC) and Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City) also came off the bench against Mexico. In contrast, Castrof sat on the bench for both the first and second matches and has also been excluded from the anticipated starting lineup for the South Africa match.

The midfield is expected to be handled by Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord) and Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City). In the second line, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz) are expected to be deployed to support the attack.

Sportsmole said of Lee Kang-in, "He is a player who could be considered South Korea's best current player," and added, "He will try to create magical moments against South Africa." Regarding Baek Seung-ho, the outlet stated, "He is the only player among the anticipated 11 starters to play in the second division, but he has delivered impressive performances in this group stage."

The leading striker is captain Son Heung-min (LAFC). The outlet reported, "South Korea substituted both Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung immediately after conceding a goal in the recent Mexico match. However, both players are expected to start again in this South Africa match." Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), who scored in the first match against Czechia, is expected to start from the bench.

Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) has been classified not as a starter but as a joker card. Sportsmole explained, "Hwang Hee-chan, who plays for Wolverhampton and is preparing for the English Championship season, could serve as a substitution option with his fast speed."

The core of the defense is, as expected, Kim Min-jae. The outlet noted, "South Korea is in a favorable position to advance from the group stage even with just one additional point, and there is a high possibility they will heavily rely on Kim Min-jae's defensive abilities." Since South Africa must win, it is crucial for South Korea to prevent early goals and maintain stable control of the game's flow.

Meanwhile, South Africa, led by coach Hugo Broos, used a five-back formation in their first match against Mexico but lost 0-2. In the second match against Czechia, they switched to a four-back formation and secured a 1-1 draw. The match content was also more stable when they used the four-back formation.

South African media outlet Soccer Laduma also predicted that South Africa would use a four-back formation against South Korea. The outlet reported, "South Africa returned to their familiar four-back formation in the match against Czechia and recorded a draw after a strong performance."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.