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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Jeon Jin-woo (left) is cheering with Hwang In-beom, who gave assist after scoring the first goal. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Son Heung-min is encouraging his teammates on the bench. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Fans are presenting the card section 'WE Daehan'. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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Hong Myung-bo, the coach of the A national team, who led the world to 11 consecutive World Cup finals for the sixth time, was surprising.
Hong operated the 4-2-3-1 system. With Oh Hyun-kyu (24, Genk) in the one-top, Bae Joon-ho (22, Stoke City), who was additionally selected, and Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) and Jeon Jin-woo (26, Jeonbuk) were located in the second line. Hwang In-beom (29, Feyenoord) and Won Doo-jae (28, Korpacan) were paired with defensive midfielders.
Lee Tae-seok (23, Pohang), Kim Joo-sung (25, Seoul), Lee Han-beom (23, Mit Willan) and Seol Young-woo (27, Zvezda) lined up in the four backs. The goal was guarded by Lee Chang-geun (32, Daejeon), not Cho Hyun-woo (34, Ulsan). Compared to the best 11 against Iraq, as many as seven people have changed except for Lee Kang-in, Hwang In-beom, Lee Tae-seok, and Seol Young-woo. Hwang In-beom kicked the captain's armband.
Filled field players with under-30s young fatigue. Compared to the average age of 29 in the starting lineup against Iraq, the match against Kuwait was 25.7 years old. Jeon Jin-woo, who made his A-match debut as a substitute against Iraq, had his first opportunity to start. Jeon Jin-woo assisted Oh Hyun-kyu's second goal against Iraq. Lee Han-beom made his A-match debut. Kim Joo-sung and Won Doo-jae also played in the A-match for the first time in a long time.
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Jeon Jin-woo (right) is cheering after scoring the first goal. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Coach Hong Myung-bo is preparing for the game. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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launched a one-sided offensive. However, eight players were located at the gate, and Kuwait's goal, which defended the net, was rarely opened. The long-awaited goal was scored in the 30th minute of the first half.
Hwang In-beom's corner kick went through Jeon Jin-woo's head and hit Kuwait defender Fahad Alhazeri's body and was sucked into the goal. It was Jeon Jin-woo's A match debut goal. He made his A-match debut against Iraq on the 6th and assisted Oh Hyun-kyu's goal. He left a deep impression on Hong by posting offensive points in two consecutive games.
South Korea finished the first half with a 1-0 lead in the final Group B match against Kuwait in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Kuwait (five points, five draws, four losses), the lowest in Group B, had no momentum as it was already confirmed to be eliminated. South Korea, ranked 23rd in the FIFA rankings, and Kuwait, ranked 134th, are incomparable.
In the fourth minute of the first half, Lee Han-beom participated in the attack and recorded his first shot, opening the door. The distribution of balls across the left and right sides of the beans was also noticeable. In the 9th minute of the first half, Oh Hyun-kyu's left foot shot was blocked by defense. A minute later, Bae Joon-ho connected Seol Young-woo's cross with a header shot, but the ball deflected off the defender and hit the post.
In Kuwait, Ahmed Zanki scored his first shot in the 14th minute of the first half. South Korea also had a decisive opportunity in the 18th minute of the first half. Oh Hyun-kyu's left foot shot came out after hitting the defender, and Bae Jun-ho then connected with a right foot shot by Hoshim. However, he was blocked by the goalkeeper. Lee Han-beom connected Lee Kang-in's free kick with a header in the 24th minute of the first half, but the ball split through the air.
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Jeon Jin-woo (left) cheers with his teammates after scoring the first goal. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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| The final match of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. Lee Han-beom is heading at the gate. Sangam = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.6.10/ |
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In the second half, Son Heung-min is expected to play in the lineup. He was ruled out of the Iraq match because of a foot injury. In the match against Kuwait, he was included in the entry and stood by on the bench. Sangambeol's roar reached its peak whenever Son Heung-min appeared on the big screen. Hong is expected to give Son Heung-min a chance to finish without overdoing it. He said, `Son Heung-min can play in the game. But I'm going to talk to myself and decide how much I can do."
Hong Myung-bo is the only Asian country that has not lost a single game in the third qualifying round. With 19 points (5 wins and 4 draws), South Korea will finish its journey as No. 1 in Group B if it beats Kuwait.
In addition, he recorded his first win in 16 years since the 2010 South African Games. South Korea participated in the second qualifying round of the North Korea-China World Cup and advanced to the third qualifying round with 5 wins and 1 draw. He is currently undefeated (10 wins and 5 draws) in 15 consecutive games.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
