Hong Myung-bo, 'Samyeonchoga' "Only victory against Oman I hope the players forget the last game"
Hong Myung-bo, 'Samyeonchoga' "Only victory against Oman I hope the players forget the last game"
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"It will be a difficult match away, but there is nothing else to do but win."
South Korea national soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo, who was cornered after just one match, vowed to win the match against Oman.
A press conference was held on the 9th, a day before the second match of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup between Korea and Oman, at the City Seasons Hotel in Muscat, Oman, the venue for the match.
Coach Hong, who took charge of the national team amid controversy over the fairness of the selection process, failed to lead the team to victory in the first match against the 'weak' Palestine, ending in a 0-0 draw.
If we fail to achieve victory in this match against Oman, the already growing calls for Hong Myung-bo's dismissal will spread even further.
Even in the midst of chaos, Coach Hong has led the team without wavering.
The national team at the training camp in Muscat is putting the memory of the shocking draw behind them and raising their fighting spirit towards victory against Oman.
Coach Hong said, "I will make sure we win. I can't predict the outcome of the game, but I will do my best to get three points.
Before the match against Palestine, there was only one proper 스포츠 training session where all the players were in sync.
This time I was able to prepare for the game with more leisure.
Coach Hong said, "I feel like things have improved overall compared to the last home game. The players' condition has also improved overall. I think that training together for one or two more days will be a great help in terms of game management and tactics."
Coach Hong has stated that he will make changes to the starting lineup for the match against Oman compared to the match against Palestine.
When asked if he had finished considering a change, Coach Hong replied, "I will wait and see how quickly the injured player (Seol Young-woo) recovers (for the left fullback position) before making a decision. Most of the other positions are ready."
Oman is ranked 76th in the FIFA rankings, 53 places below Korea (23rd), but it showed a formidable performance by losing 0-1 to Iraq in its first away match, where it is expected to compete for second place in Group B along with Korea and Jordan.
"I am fully aware of arrogance," said coach Hong, "but what is more important is how well we perform and bring about results."
The first game was a draw against a weak team, and the second game was a tough away game in the Middle East.
As the opponent lost the first game, it seems they will do their best to win at home.
Coach Hong said, "It's not easy, but our players have experience in this area. Our key players have experience in the final World Cup qualifiers," and added, "I trust our players. I hope they forget the last game and go into the game."
Muscat is a place that holds good memories for Director Hong.
At the Al Seeb Stadium in Seeb, near Muscat, they secured qualification for the 2012 London Olympics 12 years ago.
Coach Hong emphasized, "I don't think it's a bad place, but a lot of time has passed. We didn't get a result in the first match against Palestine, so I hope this is a place where we can go up a level in all aspects."