South Korean players and coaches pose for group photos after beating Kuwait 3-1 in the teams’ Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City on Nov. 14, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — For the second consecutive match in South Korea’s World Cup qualifying campaign, rising offensive stars made their presence felt, while also masking the team’s defensive problems Thursday night in Kuwait City.
The starting striker Oh Se-hun scored for his second straight match while midfielder Bae Jun-ho scored as a second-half substitute, helping South Korea beat Kuwait 3-1 in the Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Those two goals at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium sandwiched a successful penalty by captain Son Heung-min, a symbolic arrangement that represented both the present and the future of South Korean football.
Oh, 25, appears to have the upper hand in the ongoing competition for the starting forward position. The team’s tallest player at 193 centimeters, Oh headed home a Hwang In-beom cross in the 10th minute to set the early tone for South Korea.
This was Oh’s second international goal, with the first having come on Oct. 15 against Iraq. That first goal was assisted by Bae, who got in on the scoring act himself against Kuwait with his 74th-minute strike. It was also Bae’s second international goal, and first since June for the 21-year-old.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo has been selecting a few young, largely unproven players for recent World Cup qualifying matches so that he could see them in the national team context. While not all of them have played, Hong has still had a chance to run them through training sessions alongside veterans and see how they responded to new challenges.
Oh and Bae have been among those who have been getting consistent playing opportunities. Bae, in particular, got the start on the left wing against Iraq in Son’s absence last month due to injury, and made most of that chance.
With Son back in the fold, Bae was brought in off the bench Thursday, replacing the captain in the 64th minute as Hong sought to manage Son’s workload following a long injury layoff.
Bae was at his typically aggressive self with the ball and scored barely 10 minutes into his night.
“As a sub, I thought I had to provide some spark and turn the momentum,” Bae said, referring to Kuwait’s push for an equalizer after they had cut the deficit to 2-1. “The coach told me to dribble or pass the ball with confidence.”
Bae said he had been frustrated with his lack of goals for his English club, Stoke City, and it “felt good” to find the back of the net for the national team.
Both of Oh’s and Bae’s goals were set up by midfielder Hwang In-beom, and both players thanked the Feyenoord midfielder for making them look good on the scoresheet.
“I was able to score today not just because of what I did, but because all of my teammates worked hard,” Oh said. “I want to thank the whole team.”
Lost in the shuffle of those two goals were international debuts by two more 20-something players: the 22-year-old fullback Lee Tae-seok and the 21-year-old midfielder Lee Hyun-ju.
Lee Tae-seok subbed in for Lee Myung-jae in the 64th minute for a monumental moment for his family. Tae-seok and his father, Lee Eul-yong, became just the third father-son duo to have played for the men’s senior national team.
Then in the 81st minute, Lee Hyun-ju stepped in for Lee Jae-seung in midfield.
Hong had praised Lee Hyun-ju’s skillset when explaining his decision to select the youngster last week, saying he doesn’t need much space to operate and make plays and such abilities separate him from others on the national team.
“I think they both did an admirable job. They entered the match at difficult junctures and they played well,” Hong said. “Overall, I think they made pretty good debuts.”
On the flip side, South Korea’s defense was exposed on a few occasions in the second half.
On the home team’s lone goal, South Korean players gave Youssef Majed too much real estate, allowing him to sprint into the attacking zone untouched and sent a cross into the box for Mohammad Daham. Then South Korean Defenders were caught ball watching as Daham scored off a deft first touch.
In the 85th minute, Daham’s free kick from the right side set up Redha Hani’s header that struck the left goal post. Hani was able to sneak in behind defenders for the open look from close range.
South Korean defenders have struggled with gap control in the past, and Hong said his players were too slow and loose after building an early lead.
“In the second half, I think our players took their foot off the pedal with the two-goal lead,” he said. “We’ve tended to allow goals in situations like that. But we were able to respond and score the third goal, and my players deserve credit for that.”
(Yonhap)
