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Paul McNamara

As sorrowful South Koreans spoke to journalists after their dispiriting 1-0 defeat by South Africa in Monterrey on Wednesday, their victorious opponents began to file past, full of song and joy.
Bumped by a member of the South African staff, a bristling Hwang In-beom told the unwitting aggressor to “show some f****** respect”. Briefly, it appeared that a scrap would ensue.
If only South Korea had shown the same combativity on the field.
Chosen for doping control, it was more than two hours before Son Heung-min appeared to tell reporters from his country that “there’s no problem with the vibe in our dressing room”.


“I can honestly tell you that we’ve had zero issues with our team atmosphere,” he added.
It is an indictment of this expanded World Cup that South Korea could yet reach its knockout stages despite claiming only three points and recording a -1 goal difference after three group matches.
Should they progress, the Koreans are likely to face the winner of Group: Egypt, Belgium or Iran.
Regardless of Son’s protestations, they would travel to Seattle for that match trailed by questions over their captain and star player’s relationship with the head coach, Hong Myung-bo, and the mood among a squad that has been together since May 18.

#SouthAfrica players sing their way through the mixed zone as #SouthKorea talk to press.
Some jostling ensued with Hwang In-beom telling a South African staff member to “show some f****** respect”. #FifaWorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/kSNwKxTAOD
— Paul McNamara (@McNamara_Sport) June 25, 2026

Revealing that Hong had told him well in advance that he would be dropped from the starting XI against South Africa, Son said: “I don’t really have anything to add to that.”
The impression of an embattled travelling party gained legs on Thursday.
Avenue de Las Rosas, back in Guadalajara, was guarded by armed jeeps; police turned away anybody who could not produce a room key for the Koreans’ functional Westin hotel down the road at No 2911.
Hong led a one-hour training session at the headquarters of Club Deportivo Guadalajara from 4pm, completely in the dark over what he was preparing for; not that clarity would have helped, in the view of his critics.
South Korea had 68.5 per cent possession against the South Africans, the highest figure they have recorded in a World Cup match, but barely asked Ronwen Williams, the goalkeeper and team captain, to make a save.
The credit in the bank gained by Hong, 57, as a fine defender in Korea’s 2002 World Cup semi-final team has long run dry.
One reporter told Hong after the South Africa defeat that the match was a “snoozefest”, before asking whether the “heavy-looking” players had “suffered a collective food poisoning” because “it was hard to buy that performance otherwise”.
Hong merely replied that he did not want to shift blame.
In contrast, Williams was calling for a statue to be erected in honour of Hugo Broos, South Africa’s bullish head coach.
“For what he’s done for this team and country, he deserves the highest recognition one can give,” Williams said.
“Sometimes we don’t believe we can go and win games and achieve things, but he always tells us we can.
“Every day, our backs are against the wall, we have people criticising us, but he’s always supporting us in good and bad moments. As much as we did this for 62 million South Africans, this is for coach Hugo.”

Being broadly viewed as Group A cannon fodder, Williams said, had “fuelled something inside us … everyone was against us, we used that as energy and motivation to fight”.
The Koreans, meanwhile, have looked lethargic and fearful.
The appointment of Han Deok-hyun, a sports psychiatrist at Chung-Ang University, as mental coach for this World Cup partly stemmed from the wish to monitor players’ well-being over a long period away from home.
They have been together since the start of an altitude camp in Salt Lake City almost six weeks ago.
Equally, the Koreans bombed out of the Asian Cup in 2024, following a falling-out between Son and a young contingent, including Lee Kang-in, the Paris Saint-Germain forward, whom the older man believed had rushed their evening meal to play table tennis.
Han has been monitoring players’ body language, and speaking “extensively” to four or five of them every day. He described their collective psychological condition as “stable” after they had opened with a 2-1 win over Czech Republic.
Their long faces and hushed tones following the South Africa debacle appeared to suggest that Han has his work cut out over the next few days.
Ahn Jung-hwan, a 2002 teammate of Hong’s, and the scorer of the golden goal that beat Italy to book South Korea’s quarter-final spot 24 years ago, declared “both the coach and the association must be completely replaced”.
He labelled the team’s performance, in a match where they needed only a draw to secure progress, as “terrible”, adding that there was “no enthusiasm and no urgency”.
“I couldn’t sense the tactics at all,” Ahn said.

Damningly, he agreed with the supporters who accuse Hong of being a one-dimensional coach.
“When losing, there was no risk taking or tactical formation change,” Ahn said.
“The coach is indeed responsible … he’s the one who builds the team.”
Chong Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and a Hong supporter, has already confirmed he will step down after the tournament.
In 2024, the governing body was accused by South Korea’s sports ministry of breaching rules when appointing Hong, and predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann, without consulting the National Team Committee.
It has been lambasted over a perceived absence of long-term planning, too, with Park Ji-sung, the former Manchester United winger, the latest person to argue that point this week.
“We’re just making the same mistakes from 2014,” Park said, referencing Hong’s previous tournament in charge, when South Korea earned only one point. “The KFA is most responsible.”
Amid a host of committed South Africa displays, Sphephelo Sithole delivered a relentless and redemptive midfield shift, two weeks after he gave away a goal and was sent off in his team’s loss to Mexico.
“It wasn’t easy for two or three days, but I had to pick myself up,” he said. “I had to be strong mentally, push and give everything. I couldn’t cry, or I wouldn’t have been able … to give this performance.”

Sithole covered 11.43 kilometres at Estadio Guadalajara, 1.88 of those at high speed.
South Korean wingback Jens Castrop, who played the second half and failed to stop Thapelo Maseko’s winning strike from passing through his legs, said: “It’s harder on the pitch than it looks. The humidity and weather conditions make it hard to sprint; you’re active in offence, then have to sprint back 80 metres to defend.”
Son was not convinced that his team would get their own chance to make amends. Acknowledging that he “did not give my teammates much help” after being introduced for the second half, he added: “It’s out of our hands now and we’ll have to accept our fate, whatever it will be.”
Whether they squeeze through or not, Hong appears set for a repeat of 12 years ago when he quit after the finals. However, this time the decision is likely to be taken out of his hands.


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Fifa

South Korea’s downcast players applaud their fans after their defeat by South Africa in the World Cup. Photo: Xinhua

Ronwen Williams (middle) and Sphephelo Sithole (right) revel in South Africa’s win over South Korea. Photo: AP Photo

Hong Myung-bo delivers instructions during a hydration break against South Africa. Photo: Reuters

South Korea’s players take part in a training session not knowing if they have made the knockouts or not. Photo: AFP

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Australia’s Milos Degenek (left) and Harry Souttar celebrate advancing as runners-up in Group D after the match against Paraguay. Photo: Reuters

Turkey’s Arda Guler scores his team’s first goal against the USA at the World Cup. Photo: AFP

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Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving with the Shanghai fan and his family at their home. Photo: Douyin

Kyrie Irving’s home visit was part of his China tour organised by a sporting goods brand. Photo: Douyin screenshot

Kyrie Irving leaving his signature on the fan’s wall. Photo: Douyin screenshot

Sport

Football

Coach Hong Myung-bo under fire following abject performance against South Africa as questions remain about relationship with Son Heung-min


Coach Hong Myung-bo under fire following abject performance against South Africa as questions remain about relationship with Son Heung-min.


Fifa World Cup 2026

Son Heung-min

Hong Myung-bo

Lee Kang-in

Fifa World Cup: sorrowful South Korea erect Mexico wall of steel after dispiriting display

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Coach Hong Myung-bo under fire following abject performance against South Africa as questions remain about relationship with Son Heung-min

Coach Hong Myung-bo under fire following abject performance against South Africa as questions remain about relationship with Son Heung-min