"Stop Jordan's Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae!" This is the special mission delivered to South Korea.

The national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Jordan in the 8th match of Group B at the '2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asia Qualifiers' on the 25th at 8 p.m. at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

South Korea drew 1-1 with Oman on the 20th after failing to protect Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal. South Korea is currently maintaining a somewhat precarious first place in Group B with 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws), which is just a 3-point lead over second-placed Jordan.

South Korea returned home after a 2-0 victory against Jordan in an away match last October, with consecutive goals from Lee Jae-sung and Oh Hyun-kyu. There were predictions that the team would struggle in the unfavorable conditions of the Middle East. However, the Taeguk Warriors showcased good performance and brought home 3 points.

This is a return match held at home after 5 months. However, South Korea's situation is worse. Key players Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, Baek Seung-ho, and Jung Seung-hyun are out due to injuries. There are significant gaps in the midfield and defense.

To make matters worse, the opponent has become even stronger. Jordan's ace Moussa Al-Tamari (28, Stade Rennais), who did not play in the last encounter, will make his appearance. "Jordan's Kim Min-jae" Yazan, who is responsible for the defense of FC Seoul, will also participate. He knows the Korean players all too well, making him even more intimidating.

South Korea suffered a crushing 0-2 defeat to Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Cup held in Qatar last July. The goal scorers from that match were none other than key forwards Yazan Al-Naimat and Al-Tamari. Both players will participate in the match against South Korea.

In particular, Al-Tamari and Yazan both scored in the match against Palestine on the 21st, reaching peak condition. If they cannot be stopped, no matter how much the game is at home, South Korea has no chance of victory.

Al-Tamari, who has a thigh bruise, trained separately for recovery on the 24th during the final training session. However, there are no significant issues for him to participate in the match.

Coach Hong Myung-bo noted in an official press conference on the 24th about the defense strategy against Al-Tamari, "He did not play in the first match. His skills are very good. I shared his movements with the players during the last Asian Cup match. We will finalize our preparations today. He is a good and threatening player," he emphasized without lowering his guard.

As Al-Tamari primarily plays as a right winger, a head-on clash with left-back Lee Tae-seok is anticipated. Lee Tae-seok said, "I have to stop a player who is performing really well in Europe. I need to analyze thoroughly before the game to exploit any weaknesses."

The forwards must overcome the wall of lament, Yazan. Yazan, who plays in Seoul, knows the tendencies of Korean forwards like Jumin-kyu well, so a tough battle is expected.

Yazan said, "There are many world-class players in South Korea, but we've faced each other often. I know the style of the Korean players well. The victory will be for Jordan," showing confidence.

Coach Hong Myung-bo emphasized regarding Jordan's dense defense strategy, "We were unable to break through their dense defense in the last match. There are ways to do so, but it takes time. I shared it with the players. It is unpredictable whether the opponent will play like they did in the last match. The most important thing is that everyone should recognize how they are playing in any situation and play smartly."

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