"It's not over, so we told each other to keep preparing with the mindset of playing the next match."
Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade) made these remarks after South Korea's national football team lost to South Africa, failing to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 32 at the 2026 North America World Cup.
South Korea, led by manager Hong Myung-bo, suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat in their third Group A match against South Africa, held at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, on Thursday (Korean time). Seol, who started as the right wing-back, played the full match but could not prevent the team's loss.
With a record of one win and two losses, South Korea finished third in the group, failing to advance to the Round of 32 on their own and now must wait on the results of other groups.
Meeting reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Seol acknowledged the mood of the squad when asked about it, admitting that "it's true that all the players are down," but added, "It's not over, so we told each other to first prepare with the mindset of playing the next match." He continued, "We will recover well, both mentally and physically, and wait."
He calmly acknowledged the cause of the defeat. "We probably lost because we didn't play well. It's because we couldn't show a better performance than our opponent," he said. "As a defender, if we hadn't conceded, even a draw would have been enough to advance on our own, so I feel responsible for that."
Asked whether the heat was a factor, he drew a line: "It wasn't only hot for us. Our opponent faced the same conditions, so that can't be an excuse."
He also expressed his regret toward the fans. "Every player shared the same desire to earn points and advance comfortably, but the result didn't follow," Seol said. "Many fans cheered for us, and I just feel sorry."
