Son Heung-min (LAFC) will start.
The South Korea national soccer team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo (FIFA ranking 22), will play Bolivia (76) in the first November friendly at 8 p.m. on the 14th at Daejeon World Cup Stadium. On the 18th they will play Ghana (73) in the second match at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
It is the last two-match international window of the year. Hong Myung-bo's team plans to field the strongest possible lineup to prepare for the FIFA North and Central America World Cup finals stage in June next year.
It is an opportunity to test competitiveness on the world stage against Bolivia, who finished seventh in the South American World Cup qualifiers and advanced to the playoffs, and Ghana, a powerhouse that secured qualification early in the African World Cup qualifiers.
This is a team that must secure results. They need to be in pot 2 for the North and Central America World Cup group-stage draw next month.
South Korea, currently ranked 22nd in the FIFA rankings, is positioned in pot 2. But the pot 2 cutoff is 23rd, so their position is not secure. They must secure as many ranking points as possible in the matches against Bolivia and Ghana.
Before leading the first training on the 10th, coach Hong Myung-bo told reporters, "The result is the top priority this time."
Originally 27 players were to be called up. But midfielder Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), a central midfield mainstay, withdrew with an injury. After Plan B Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham City), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan Hyundai) also got injured and were removed from the roster.
For now, coach Hong Myung-bo has filled two of the three spots. Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) and Seo Min-woo (Gangwon FC) were additionally selected.
On the day Son Heung-min will lead the attack. Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), and Won Du-jae (Coritiba) will form the midfield. The defense line is Kim Tae-hyun (Kashima Antlers), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Myung-jae (Daejeon Hana). The goalkeeper is Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo).
South Korea leads the all-time record against Bolivia. In three meetings they have one win and two draws. They have never lost.
The last meeting was a friendly in Ulsan in March 2019. South Korea beat Bolivia 1-0 then.
Coach Hong Myung-bo emphasized, "The results of this two-match series are the most important," adding, "We will continue to provide motivation and check the players' competitiveness up to just before the World Cup."
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