The fortunes of Oh Hyeon-gyu (25, Besiktas) and Cho Gue-sung (28, FC Midtjylland), rivals competing for the starting striker position on South Korea's World Cup national team, have diverged sharply. While Oh made club history with goals in three consecutive matches, Cho—just back from a lengthy injury—has been sidelined again.
Oh scored a clinching goal in the 74th minute of Besiktas's home match against Göztepe in the Turkish Süper Lig's 23rd round at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday, contributing to a 4-0 victory.
Oh, who joined Besiktas from Belgium's Genk during the winter transfer window, became the first player in the club's history to score in three consecutive matches (3 goals, 1 assist) after joining mid-season.
In his debut match on February 9 against Alanyaspor (2-2 draw), Oh scored with an overhead kick. On February 16, he recorded one goal and one assist in an away victory against Başakşehir (3-2). In Saturday's full 90-minute appearance, he beat the defense with a powerful right-footed shot. Besiktas has gone undefeated (2 wins, 1 draw) in Oh's three scoring appearances, climbing to fourth place among 18 teams with 43 points (12 wins, 7 draws, 4 losses).
On the same day, Cho suffered a knee injury during FC Midtjylland's away match against Silkeborg in the 21st round of the Danish Superliga, casting doubt on his participation in the national team's European friendlies next month.
Cho entered the match at the start of the second half with his team leading 1-0. He was substituted in the 61st minute after complaining of knee pain following a collision with a defender. Midtjylland won the match 4-0.
"Cho seems to struggle when playing on artificial turf since his previous knee injury," Midtjylland manager Mike Tullberg said after the match. "He took a hit to his knee and couldn't continue."
The match was played at JYSK Park, an artificial turf venue. When asked if he hoped it was just a bruise, Tullberg replied, "I hope so."
Cho, dubbed a "World Cup star" after scoring twice against Ghana in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage, underwent knee surgery in May 2024 after the 2023-24 season finale. What was described as a minor procedure led to serious complications, forcing him to miss the entire 2024-25 season.
He returned in August 2024 after 15 months and quickly regained form, earning a national team recall after a 20-month absence. He scored in a friendly against Bolivia last November.
However, with less than four months until the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, his latest injury has placed his participation in jeopardy.