Former national team legends could not hide their frustration over South Korea's poor performance after a shocking loss to South Africa. Criticism poured in over manager Hong Myung-bo's choices, from the starting lineup to game management and substitutions.
The national team led by Hong Myung-bo lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at Monterrey Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, on Thursday Korea time.
South Korea, considered superior on paper, suffered a shocking defeat to South Africa and was pushed down to third place in the group with one win and two losses (three points).
Park Ji-sung, a JTBC commentator who called the South Africa match from the venue, could not conceal his frustration after the game.
"We need to look back at whether this was a match South Korea actually tried to win. It wasn't clear how they intended to attack," Park said, criticizing South Korea's listless performance.
He continued, "I think all three group-stage matches were the same. They focused on defense and tried to attack, but it wasn't clear how they would get to the opponent's half, or what they would do in front of goal."
Lee Young-pyo, a KBS commentator, also expressed disappointment with Hong's tactical management. "I understand the strategic intent behind placing Son Heung-min in the second half and building the starting lineup that way, but that intent never showed at all, from the first half to the end," Lee said.
He added, "In the second half, Son Heung-min, Yang Hyun-jun, and Kim Jin-gyu came in and brought some energy briefly, but the momentum had already shifted to the opponent, so it didn't have much effect. On top of that, Kim Min-jae, the core of the defense, was out with a calf injury, so the defensive organization collapsed considerably, layering one vicious cycle on top of another in this match."
Kim Young-gwang, a former national team goalkeeper, also questioned the starting lineup and substitutions. "There were problems from the starting lineup, and the substitutions were not effective. Son Heung-min should have started and worn down the opponent's spirit," Kim said in disappointment.
Ahn Jung-hwan also delivered harsh criticism in a column contributed to the JoongAng Ilbo. "It was the worst of the three matches in this tournament. Regardless of the result, looking at the performance alone, accountability is unavoidable," Ahn said. "If it isn't cleaned up completely and thoroughly, this will keep repeating. If things go wrong, the football association must all be changed and overhauled."
South Korea, which could have advanced to the round of 32 on its own with even a draw, was left having to watch the results of other groups' third-place teams after the defeat. South Korea can advance to the round of 32 only if it finishes among the top eight of the 12 group third-place teams.
