Coach Hong Myung-bo believes in the players only when WC → Heat Wave is erased in Iraq for the 11th consecutive time, and I will definitely win points. Full confidence...Hwang In-beom, answer to take good results
Jun 05, 2025
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South Korea will play its ninth Group B match against Iraq at 3:15 a.m. on the 6th (Korea time) at Basra International Stadium in Iraq in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. The Taegeuk Warriors completed their ground adaptation training in the battleground on the 5th.
There are only two games left in the third qualifying round. Following the Iraq match, Hong Myung-bo will play the final match against Kuwait at 8 p.m. on the 10th at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
South Korea maintains the top spot in Group B with 16 points (4 wins and 4 draws). Jordan ranks second (13, 3 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss) and Iraq is third (12 points, 3 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses). Oman ranks fourth (10 points, 3 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses), and Palestine (6, 1 win, 3 draws and 4 losses) and Kuwait (5, 5 draws and 3 losses).
In the third qualifying round, the first and second places in each group will win a ticket to the World Cup finals. The third and fourth places will go to the fourth qualifying round, while the fifth and sixth places will be eliminated. South Korea will secure at least second place in the group if it wins one draw in two matches.
The best-case scenario is to confirm a trip to North Korea, China and the U.S. from Iraq. South Korea's FIFA ranking is 23rd and Iraq 59th. He is also dominant with 10 wins, 12 draws, and 2 losses in the A match. However, expeditions are always an uphill path. The trip to the Middle East in June is even more difficult. The local game time is 9 p.m., but it is well over 30 degrees Celsius. The humidity is high, and it even blows hot wind.
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Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who was present at the press conference, said "It is an important game in whether or not we can advance to the World Cup. It's not as burdensome as it should be against a good team called Iraq, but the team came together and prepared well. I believe that if I can show it well on the field, I can have a good game and a good result."
Hong Myung-bo's away performance is better than home in the third qualifying round. He had only one win and three draws at home, while he had three wins and one draw on the road. The mood must be maintained in Iraq.
The will of Taegeuk Warriors is strong. "Now it's time for the players to produce results," said Seol Young-woo (Zvezda), who had a successful first season in Europe. Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), who has emerged as the future of Korean soccer's side defense, also said, `We have to win this game somehow. That's how we can win the ticket to the World Cup finals."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
