After early qualification, S. Korea coach shifts focus to World Cup preparation

With his team having clinched an early berth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said he is now ready to turn his attention to preparing for the big tournament. South Korea defeated Iraq 2-0 for their latest Group B victory in the third round of the Asian qualifiers at Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq, on Thursday (local time). The victory gave South Korea one of two World Cup tickets out of their group with one more match to go in the current phase. South Korea will close out the third round by hosting Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium next Tuesday but Hong has already begun looking beyond that otherwise inconsequential match. "Since we have qualified for the World Cup after today's match, everything we do from now on will be done with a focus on the World Cup," Hong said at his postmatch press conference, according to a video clip released to the South Korean media by the Korea Football Association. "There are a lot of things to do, and we will handle one thing at a time to prepare for the tournament." South Korea struggled to generate chances earWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times