MONTERREY, Mexico — South Korea's hopes of advancing from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup are hanging by a thread after a shocking 1-0 defeat to South Africa in which coach Hong Myung-bo's decision to leave captain Son Heung-min on the bench proved costly.

The result sends Bafana Bafana into the round of 32 for the first time in their history, while the Taegeuk Warriors must now rely on other results to progress as one of the best third-placed teams. Hong's post-match admission that he might have made different choices with hindsight only intensified criticism of the tactical gamble.

Son, widely regarded as South Korea's talisman, watched from the substitutes' bench as his team struggled to create meaningful chances against a well-organized South African side. The 33-year-old forward eventually entered at halftime, but the damage had already been done.

Hong defended his selection before the match, citing a desire to deploy Son when opponents were tiring and spaces opened up. "We thought that Son would be better placed when the opponents were losing their energy, not when they had a lot of energy," he said after the game. "And when there were more spaces to exploit between the opponents' defensive line, that's when we wanted Son to be at his strongest — when the opponents were a bit weaker."

The strategy failed to pay off. South Africa capitalized on a counterattack to score the only goal, exposing defensive vulnerabilities that Son's presence might have helped mitigate. The loss was South Korea's second in the group after an earlier defeat to Mexico, leaving them with just three points from three matches.

Hong Faces Intense........

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