Coach Hwang Sun-hong: "I Will Help Korean Football Return to Its Rightful Place"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Hwang Sun-hong (56), the head coach of the Olympic football team, has been appointed as the interim manager for the March A-match period. Coach Hwang will lead the national football team in the two matches of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the North and Central American World Cup against Thailand on March 21 and 26.

On the 27th, through the Korea Football Association, Coach Hwang expressed his ambition, saying, "I will do my best to prepare diligently so that Korean football can return to its rightful place."

Coach Hwang has mainly led K League clubs and has been the head coach of the under-23 (U-23) national team since September 2021.

The U-23 team is preparing for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, the 2024 Paris Olympic Asian qualifiers, which will be held in Qatar in April. Therefore, Coach Hwang will have to manage the schedules of both teams simultaneously for the time being.

The senior national team, after being eliminated in the semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup in January and February, has faced turmoil including conflicts centered around Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain). In this unsettled situation, German coach J?rgen Klinsmann was dismissed, and a fresh start is being planned.

Coach Hwang said, "Since the Olympic qualifiers are imminent, there are concerns and worries, but I will closely consult with the coaches and prepare thoroughly for the April qualifiers without any shortcomings." He added, "I will also organize the senior team well and prepare to finish the two matches with good results."

He further stated, "There are great concerns about Korean football, but I will take responsibility and do my best to ease those worries. Please support and cheer for our national team a lot."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.