South Africa stun South Korea as dropped Son Heung-Min watches on
South Korea face a nervous wait to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup knockout stages after a shock 1-0 defeat by South Africa in Monterrey.
Manager Hong Myung-Bo took a massive gamble by omitting captain Son Heung-Min from his starting line-up.
The Taegeuk Warriors only needed to avoid defeat on Wednesday to guarantee a second-place finish and a subsequent clash with Canada.
Instead, the unexpected loss to Bafana Bafana leaves them languishing in third place in their group.
They must now await the conclusion of the group stage on Saturday to discover if they progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Managerial gamble backfires
The decision to drop the national hero sent shockwaves through the stadium before kick-off.
It marked the first time since 2010 that the Tottenham Hotspur forward had been benched for a World Cup match.
The controversial call abruptly ended his remarkable streak of 12 consecutive tournament starts.
Fans in attendance made their feelings known immediately when the team sheet was confirmed.
Loud jeers cascaded down from the stands as the head coach’s face was shown on the big screen.
Early chances fail to pay off
Despite the absence of their iconic number seven, the Asian powerhouse made a bright start.
Stand-in captain Kim Min-Jae almost opened the scoring in the second minute.
The towering Bayern Munich defender met Lee Kang-In’s corner with a powerful header, but Aubrey Modiba scrambled the ball off the line.
The Paris St-Germain midfielder then dragged an effort just wide of the post shortly after as early pressure mounted.
As the first half progressed, the African side weathered the storm and began to assert their own dominance.
Thapelo Maseko proved to be a constant menace down the right wing, continuously exposing spaces left behind by the Korean defence.
