South Korea’s World Cup campaign is on the brink after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to South Africa in Monterrey, with head coach Hong Myung Bo taking full responsibility for the result.
In a bold tactical move, Hong left star forward Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup for the crucial final group match. Despite a promising start, South Korea struggled to create chances, and South Africa seized the initiative. Thapelo Maseko’s second-half goal proved the difference, leaving South Korea’s hopes of progressing to the last 32 hanging by a thread.
The defeat marks a dramatic reversal for a team that began the tournament by rallying to beat the Czech Republic 2-1. A narrow loss to co-hosts Mexico had already put pressure on the squad, but South Korea were still favored to advance before their clash with South Africa.
“We always talk about the results,” admitted Hong after the match. “Ultimately, it comes down to me. I guess I made the wrong decisions and that’s the reason we had a bad result—nothing more, nothing less.”
Hong explained his decision to bench Son, widely regarded as Asia’s greatest player, was a strategic attempt to exploit South Africa’s fatigue later in the match. “We thought Son would be more effective against tired legs and more open spaces,” he said.
Despite this setback, South Korea still have a slim chance of reaching the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams. But for now, Hong Myung Bo and his squad will be left wondering what might have been.
