S. Korea coach guarding against complacency ahead of World Cup qualifier vs. Palestine

On paper, South Korea, ranked 22nd in the world, should be able to handle 100th-ranked Palestine with ease in their upcoming World Cup qualifying match.

However, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo is all too aware that a football match is played on the field. That is why he called on his players to guard against complacency, as they prepare for the Group B match against Palestine on Tuesday in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The match will be played at Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital as the neutral venue, and will kick off at 5 p.m. Tuesday local time, or 11 p.m. on the same night in South Korea. Due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Palestine will be forced to play home matches at neutral sites until further notice.

“We should not be thinking that we will have an easy victory,” Hong said at his prematch press conference at Kempinski Hotel Amman on Monday. “We have to have a strong mindset and be as well prepared as possible.”

South Korea began this round with a goalless draw against Palestine in Seoul on Sept. 5, a lackluster showing that woke up boo birds in the stands. It was also Hong’s first match back at the helm, following his first tour of duty from 2013 to 2014. Considering some controversial circumstances surrounding his appointment, Hong was also subject to some jeering before, during and after that match.

“I hope we will play a different match than the one we had the first time against Palestine,” Hong said. “We will have to be mindful of the fact that Palestine players will be mentally tougher than anyone else. Compared to the first match, the atmosphere surrounding our team is different, and I expect us to play better this time around.”

Since that draw, the Taegeuk Warriors have won four consecutive matches and outscored their opponents 11-4. One of those wins came on Oct. 10 against Jordan at the same Amman stadium, where South Korea blanked Jordan 2-0 in one of the team’s most complete efforts in this round.

“Since we played here in October, I think our players will feel comfortable,” Hong said. “I will admit that some players are a bit fatigued, but hopefully, we will have a good training session today and play a good match tomorrow.”

South Korea are leading Group B with 13 points, five ahead of Jordan and Iraq, with five matches remaining. The top two teams will punch their tickets to the World Cup and South Korea will be virtually assured of a spot with a win Tuesday.

Hong, however, wasn’t ready to look that far ahead.

“Even though we have a bit of a lead over other teams in the group, we will approach every match as if it were the championship final of a tournament,” the coach said. “We will try to stay humble the rest of the way.”

Over the past two months, Hong has successfully infused the team with some young blood, with the likes of Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho, 21, and FC Machida Zelvia forward Oh Se-hun, 25, making big contributions on the offensive end.

Hong said he has tried to remain “practical” in his selection process and insisted he is not picking young players just for the sake of doing so because of their age.

“I think our young players have been competing at a really high level. I am not selecting any player based on their age. Their abilities always come first,” Hong said. “I think an important part of my job is to keep unearthing young talent that can help us at the World Cup in two years’ time in the short term, and help South Korean football for the next 10 years in the long term.”

Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo said the mix of veterans and youngsters has created positive vibes in the locker room, where players have been able to block out noise from the outside.

“I think we are more determined to win than before, and that has led to some great performances on the field,” said Jo, the second-oldest player on the team at 33. “We’ve worked really hard for tomorrow’s match and I am confident we’ll get a good result in the end.”