Coach Hong Myung-bo, who is calm, said, "All the focus on the World Cup from now on."
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who is calm, said, "All the focus on the World Cup from now on."
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"I will prepare well for the World Cup finals."
Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the national soccer team, spoke calmly after confirming his trip to North Korea and the U.S.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, beat Iraq 2-0 in the ninth away match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. at Basra International Stadium in Iraq on the 6th (Korea time).
After the match, Hong said, "I thought it would be a difficult match. However, as one opponent was sent off, we were able to control the game. As a result, I congratulate the players on making good use of the lack of opponents and winning the match."
South Korea (19 points), which has five wins and four draws, has maintained its lead in Group B and has a ticket to the World Cup, which is given to the first or second place. The results of the final 10th match against Kuwait, which will be held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th, do not affect the advance to the World Cup finals.
As a result, Korean soccer has been on the stage for 11th consecutive World Cup finals since the 1986 Mexico Games.
Team Hong Myung-bo gained numerical advantage on the day with the departure of rival striker Ali al-Hamadi (Ipswich Town) in the 26th minute of the first half. The team won the match with goals scored by Kim Jin-kyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai) in the 18th minute of the second half and Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk) in the 37th minute of the second half. 안전놀이터
"I haven't thought about it yet, but we can prepare for the World Cup after today's game," Hong said after confirming his qualification for the World Cup. "We have to focus all our attention on the World Cup from now on. We will prepare well for the World Cup finals."
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who took the helm of the national team in July last year, was embroiled in controversy over fairness when he took the helm, and failed to garner support from fans. Worse yet, he was often chastised due to his poor performance. Still, he failed to calm down the public sentiment.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who led the national team to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, will challenge for his second World Cup as the head coach.