Hong Myung-bo (56), head coach of the South Korea national team, talked about the controversial selection of Hwang In-beom (29, Feyenoord).
The South Korean football team, led by coach Hong, will face Oman on the evening of the 20th at 8 p.m. at Goyang Sports Complex for the 7th match of Group B in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Asia region. They will then play Jordan in the 8th match on the 25th at 8 p.m. at Suwon Sports Complex.
Currently, South Korea is in first place 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) follow behind. The top two teams from each group in the third round of qualifying will secure direct entry into the finals.
If South Korea wins both matches in March, securing 6 points, they will early confirm their qualification for the finals of the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time, regardless of the results against Iraq and Kuwait in June.
One day before the match, at 5:30 p.m. on the 19th, coach Hong Myung-bo and team captain Son Heung-min held a pre-match press conference at Goyang Sports Complex, where the game will be held.
Coach Hong announced the 28-player roster for the A-match series in March on the 10th. Goalkeepers included Jo Hyun-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Dong-heon (Gimcheon Sangmu), and Lee Chang-geun (Daejeon Hana Citizen), while defenders selected were Kim Joo-sung (FC Seoul), Jo Yoo-min (Sharjah), Jung Seung-hyun (Al Wasl), Kwon Kyung-won (Al Khor Club), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Hwang Jae-won (Daegu FC), Park Seung-wook (Gimcheon Sangmu), Won Doo-jae (Gimcheon Sangmu), and Lee Tae-seok (Pohang Steelers).
Midfielders selected were Park Yong-woo (Al Ain), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Won Doo-jae (Al Khor Club), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Min-hyeok (Queens Park Rangers), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Lee Dong-kyung (Gimcheon Sangmu).
For forwards, there are Oh Hyun-kyu (KRC Genk), Joo Min-kyu (Daejeon Hana Citizen), and Oh Se-hun (Machida Zelvia). Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who was included in the initial roster, was ruled out due to injury, and Kim Joo-sung was selected as a replacement.
Among them, Hwang In-beom was somewhat controversial. He has not been able to play for his club, Feyenoord Rotterdam, throughout the latter half of the season due to injury.
Dutch media 'FR12' commented on Hwang In-beom's selection, saying, "A player who has barely played for the past three months has just returned, and now he has to undergo a long-distance flight." They expressed concern, stating, "This will be quite a burden for his recovery and conditioning management."
In response, Coach Hong explained, "As I mentioned in the press conference, Hwang In-beom has been in good communication with both the club and the national team."
Coach Hong said, "There was a minor injury in the game last weekend. We need to monitor him through today's training."
Hwang Hee-chan also just returned from injury. He was substituted after registering his first assist of the season during the FA Cup fourth round match against Blackburn on Feb. 10 due to a hamstring injury.
Coach Hong explained, "Hwang Hee-chan has also communicated with his club team's coach while fully recovering from his injury, and I plan to decide how we will play tomorrow after completing the final training."
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