"South Korea is one of the strongest teams in Asia. We have to meet and compete with them."

The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Oman on the 20th at 8 p.m. at Goyang Sports Complex in the seventh match of Group B in the third round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. They will then play against Jordan in the eighth match on the 25th at 8 p.m. at Suwon Sports Complex.

Currently, South Korea maintains the top position in Group B with 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws). Iraq (11 points), Jordan (9 points), Oman (6 points), Kuwait (4 points), and Palestine (3 points) are following behind. The top two teams from each group in the third round of qualifying receive direct tickets to the finals.

If South Korea wins all matches in the two games in March and earns 6 points, they will early secure their qualification for the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time, regardless of the results against Iraq and Kuwait in June.

South Korea and Oman faced each other in the second match. In their away match in September 2024, South Korea secured a 3-1 victory with a first goal from Hwang Hee-chan and consecutive goals from Son Heung-min and Jo Kyu-sung in the second half. They faced a crisis when Jeong Seung-hyun scored an own goal during added time in the first half.

On the 19th, at 8:40 p.m. before the match, Oman head coach Rashid Jaber held a pre-game press conference at Goyang Sports Complex.

Coach Jaber said, "This is an important match. South Korea is one of the strongest teams in Asia. We have to meet and compete with them. We need to be mentally, physically, and technically prepared. I hope our players show good performance to survive in the group stage. Our players are also 100% ready. I have great faith in the team. Since this is an important match, we will do our best."

He noted, "It is important for players to be equipped with technology as well as teamwork and tactical understanding. Achieving harmony within the team is essential for positive results. Veteran players can provide a lot of experience, and it is important to achieve balance with younger players." He added, "Success requires effort and dedication."

Regarding the previous match against South Korea, he emphasized, "Up until the 82nd minute of the last game, we managed the match well (the goal by Son Heung-min came in the 82nd minute). However, mistakes in the last 10 minutes led to conceding a goal and a loss. Particularly, the first goal by South Korea and the third scene were episodes of our mistakes. South Korea has many players who play in Europe, including Son Heung-min. We must avoid mistakes."

He stated, "We prepared focusing on mental, physical, and technical aspects. We will maintain our concentration and compete."

Kim Min-jae is not included in this South Korean national team call-up. Will there be any changes due to this? Coach Jaber replied, "To be concise, there is no change due to his absence. South Korea is a team with good quality. We are not a team that relies on one player. I expect that another player stepping in for Kim Min-jae will also perform excellently. There will be no tactical changes in that regard."

Unlike Oman, it is cold weather in South Korea. He said, "I am trying to adapt. It is very cold. But we must adapt. I have been adjusting for three days. I have adapted to the cold to some extent."

Also, it is the Ramadan period in Oman. Coach Jaber said, "Ramadan is our culture. We have to adapt to it for soccer. Of course, it is difficult. During away matches, the time for meals is different, and we have traveled over 13 hours. There are many complex difficulties, but we need to adapt and overcome them."

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