South Korea captain Son Heung-min issued an apology to his teammates after a shocking 1-0 defeat to South Africa jeopardised their World Cup 2026 campaign. The Asian side needed only a draw to advance from Group A but fell to Thapelo Maseko's 63rd-minute strike, leaving their hopes reliant on other results.
Son Benched for First Time in 16 Years
Head coach Hong Myung-bo surprisingly omitted Son from the starting XI for the decisive group match, opting instead for Oh Hyeon-gyu and Hwang Hee-chan alongside Lee Kang-in up front. It marked the first time the 33-year-old had started a World Cup game on the bench since his international debut 16 years ago. Son was introduced at half-time with the score still 0-0, but his 45-minute cameo proved ineffective as South Africa secured a famous victory.
Son's Heartfelt Apology
After the match, Son expressed his regret in the dressing room. "It's so frustrating that the match didn't go the way we wanted it to, and we as players are obviously very disappointed," he said. "I feel sorry to my teammates that I didn't give them much help on the pitch." Son is South Korea's all-time leading scorer with 56 goals in 147 caps and had netted in each of his previous three World Cup appearances.
Coach Takes Responsibility
Hong, a former South Korea captain himself, shouldered the blame for the defeat. "In terms of the process and preparing for this game, and how we would play on the field, that is something I put much thought into," he said. "Of course, if we knew what the result was going to be, I probably would have made different choices. But I had a strategy in mind. Whenever such a bad result happens, everyone has their own opinion. The result is really the responsibility of the head coach. Ultimately, it comes down to my hands, I guess I made the wrong decisions and that was the reason we had a bad result. Nothing more, nothing less."
Son's Blunt Response on Benching
When asked about Hong's decision to leave him out, Son offered a terse reply, according to The Korea Times: "I don't really have anything to add to that." He confirmed the coach had informed him before the game that he would not start.
South Korea's Slim Hopes
South Korea finished third in Group A with three points, having beaten Czechia 2-1 and lost 1-0 to Mexico. They now face an anxious wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Currently fourth in that ranking, they have played all three group games, while teams below them such as Belgium, Ecuador, and Paraguay still have matches remaining. Goal difference is the first tiebreaker in the standings.
