Foreign media also harshly criticized Hong Myung-bo's team: "It was a bold decision to leave Son out of the starting lineup"... "Why did South Korea, objectively superior in strength, get dragged around?" with question marks

*This content was translated by AI.

Overseas media outlets also pointed out the poor performance of Hong Myung-bo's team.

Sports specialist 'The Athletic' reported on the 25th (Korea time) that "South Korea suffered a shocking blow from South Africa."

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup qualifiers held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on this day.

With one win and two losses (3 points), South Korea fell to third place in the group, eliminating their chance of direct qualification for the round of 32. In this tournament, the eight best-performing third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. Consequently, South Korea now has to wait for the results of other matches.

The Athletic, using its own predictive model, estimated an 89% probability that if South Korea advances to the knockout stage, they will face the winner of Group G, which includes Egypt, Iran, Belgium, and New Zealand.

The media focused on Son Heung-min's exclusion from the starting lineup on this day. "Head coach Hong Myung-bo made a bold tactical decision to bench Son Heung-min, the captain and key player, despite no injury," and "Son Heung-min's poor performance with his club team this season and positional mismatch due to his deployment as a central striker may be the cause," the outlet analyzed.

It further stated, "South Korea, objectively superior in strength, suffered under South Africa's attacks throughout the match," and "While South Africa registered three shots on target in the first half, South Korea managed none and was met with booing from the crowd."

The media also mentioned the unusual circumstances surrounding the winning goal. The outlet described, "News that Mexico had scored in another Group A match created a chaotic atmosphere in the stadium, with Mexican fans and South Korean fans, who were hoping for South Korea to secure second place, cheering in unison. However, South Africa seized this opportunity, and Tafelo Maseko scored the decisive goal."

The media praised, "Unlike South Korea, which considered advancing to second place in the group a necessity, South Africa overcame the pressure and caught a big fish with a thorough plan and sharp counterattacks." It further predicted, "With key midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended for the round of 32 due to accumulated fouls, returning, South Africa's momentum will also be threatening against Canada."

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*This content was translated by AI.