S. Korea coach seeks communication, leadership skills from players in World Cup qualifying match
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) — With changes inevitable on his backline due to a key absence, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he will look for communication and leadership skills from his defenders in an upcoming World Cup qualifying match against Oman.
South Korea, world No. 23, will host 80th-ranked Oman at 8 p.m. Thursday at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul.
The team will be without their top center back, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, who has been sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis. Hong selected FC Seoul defender Kim Ju-sung as a replacement, but he only has two caps so far and last played for South Korea in October 2023.
South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo speaks during a press conference ahead of a World Cup qualifying match against Oman at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on March 19, 2025. (Yonhap)
At his prematch press conference, Hong said he will have to find the right combination using “players who have spent some time within our system.”
“On top of that, we will consider players’ abilities to communicate during the course of the match and their leadership,” Hong said. “This is a time for changes for our defense and it will also mean a good opportunity for some. I got the impression (from training sessions) that those who may get that chance are ready to step in.”
On paper, South Korea will be heavily favored to win Thursday night. Hong said his team will have to guard against Oman’s long balls.
“We will see different attacking patterns depending on where we apply our pressure,” the coach added. “We have to be sharp in how we respond to their long passes and how we play the second ball.”
Hong opened this training camp on Monday but because of traveling schedules for some Europe-based players, the coach didn’t have his full squad on hand until Wednesday. Their first training session together will be Wednesday evening.
“Obviously, team chemistry is critical in football and it takes time to build that. We just never have enough time to do that with the national team,” Hong said. “Fortunately, all of our players are talented enough that we don’t need much time to get everyone on the same page. I trust my players to get the job done and I expect them to play responsibly.”
South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo speaks during a press conference ahead of a World Cup qualifying match against Oman at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on March 19, 2025. (Yonhap)
This will be the seventh match for both countries in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Korea are leading Group B with 14 points from four wins and two draws with four matches remaining. Iraq are in second place with 11 points and Jordan are in third with nine points.
The top two teams from each of the three groups in the ongoing round will qualify for the big tournament, and South Korea can grab their World Cup berth by winning the next two matches at home — with Jordan coming here next Tuesday.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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