SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea failed to secure automatic qualification for the Round of 32 after losing 1-0 to South Africa in their final Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday in Korea.
South Korea lost at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico after conceding midway through the second half.
In the other Group A match played at the same time, Mexico beat Czechia 3-0.
The results sent Mexico through as Group A winners and South Africa as runners-up. South Korea finished third with three points and a goal difference of minus one.
South Korea are currently around fourth in the ranking of third-placed teams, keeping their knockout hopes alive for now.
But their place in the Round of 32 is not yet confirmed, with several groups still to complete their final matches.
Hong Myung-bo’s side tried to change the game by bringing on Son Heung-min and Jens Castrop at halftime, but they again struggled to break South Africa’s pressure and conceded after being exposed down the flank.
The defeat also extended South Korea’s winless World Cup run against African teams since 2006.
Hong, who was in charge when Korea lost 4-2 to Algeria in 2014, missed a chance to erase part of that memory and must now wait to see whether his team can survive through the third-placed team ranking.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
