Son Heung-min says Chinese players and media’s ‘not pleasant’ comments fired him up to silence Shenzhen

Tottenham superstar admits he was upset by opponents saying, ‘They don’t care about me and know how to stop me’
‘When I play football I respect all players,’ 31-year-old forward adds, after scoring two goals in South Korea’s 3-0 win

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SCMP SportandAgence France-Presse

Published: 5:15pm, 22 Nov 2023

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Son Heung-min revealed “not pleasant” comments from Chinese players and media inspired his star performance in South Korea’s 3-0 Fifa World Cup qualifier win on Tuesday night in Shenzhen.

The Tottenham superstar scored two and set up the other goal to seal a fourth straight victory over China for his team, silencing a sell-out home crowd of more than 40,000 in Shenzhen.

The 31-year-old forward had been given a hero’s welcome by home fans at the airport on Sunday, and such is his popularity, there were even Chinese fans wearing his Spurs replica shirts in the stands at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre, which prompted anger among home supporters and some ugly scenes.

Son’s star billing was underlined when he took his international tally to 38 goals in 114 appearances thanks to an 11th-minute penalty and a deft header from a corner just before half-time.

After slotting in his penalty, Son pointedly celebrated by putting a finger to his lips.

Son Heung-min wheels away after scoring from the penalty spot. Photo: Xinhua

“Honestly, when I heard they [the China team and media] were saying they know how to stop me and they don’t care about me, it was not pleasant,” Son told South Korean broadcasters afterwards.

“When I play football, I respect all players,” he added.

“So about those comments about me – as the captain of the team, I think to show what I can do on the pitch was the right way [to respond].”

Andersen salutes Hong Kong ‘fight and mentality’ after ‘best’ performance

In a game dominated by the visitors, South Korea wrapped the points up three minutes from the end of normal time when Son’s free-kick was headed in by defender Jung Seung-hyun.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s side have a perfect six points from their opening two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup in North America and have scored eight goals, conceding none.

World Cup qualifying in the region now takes a pause for the Asian Cup in January and February in Qatar, where South Korea will be among the favourites.

China, on the other hand, will head into the Asian Football Confederation’s showpiece international tournament in mixed form.

Son Heung-min waves to supporters after starring in the group C match between China and South Korea. Photo: Xinhua

But the hosts’ head coach Aleksandar Jankovic insisted his team were “on the right track” following their 2-1 qualifying victory over Thailand in Bangkok last week.

“There are still areas that need to be corrected in the future, and some areas can be resolved in the Asian Cup,” the Serbian told reporters after the match. “We will go all out to prepare for the Asian Cup. We guarantee that the team will be 100 per cent ready by then.

“Our goal is very clear, which is to compete in the World Cup. Everyone knows the importance of the first game [away against Thailand], it’s a six-point battle.

“After winning, we are already on the right track. The next goal is to get six points in the two games against Singapore in March next year.”