Hong Myungbo's Squad Faces Final Friendly Before World Cup Amid Injuries and Slump

Hwang Inbeom Sidelined, Lee Kangin Nursing Ankle Injury
South Korea to Face Côte d'Ivoire in England on the 28th

Hwang Inbeom, who was supposed to coordinate the match, is sidelined due to an ankle injury, and Lee Kangin is also not in perfect condition. Son Heungmin, who is expected to lead the attack, is currently experiencing a dip in form. He has not scored in five consecutive matches in the Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season.

Amid these setbacks, the South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myungbo, will play its last A-match before the opening of the 2026 North and Central American World Cup. The team will face Côte d'Ivoire at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England, at 11:00 p.m. (Korean time) on the 28th. Afterward, they will move to Vienna to play a friendly against Austria at 3:45 a.m. on April 1. In preparation for the final test before the World Cup, the national team arrived in Milton Keynes on the 24th and has been focusing on enhancing team cohesion.

Captain Son Heungmin and other players of the South Korean national football team are training as a team on the 25th (local time) at MK Dons training center in Milton Keynes, northwest London, ahead of the match against Ivory Coast. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Key midfielder Hwang Inbeom has been excluded from the call-up list this time. This is due to a right ankle ligament injury sustained during a Dutch league match on the 16th. Lee Kangin also suffered a left ankle ligament injury. He was substituted after being stepped on by an opponent during a French league match on the 22nd. Fortunately, it is not a serious injury, and he remains on the squad list. There is also discussion about his possible participation in the match against Austria.

Although Son Heungmin has not scored in the MLS, there are no significant issues with his physical condition. Coach Hong Myungbo stated in an interview with Korean reporters in Milton Keynes that he is "not worried" about Son Heungmin.

There are expectations that Son Heungmin's performance will improve if he plays as his preferred winger position in this friendly match. Coach Hong explained, "Strikers Oh Hyungyu (Beşiktaş) and Cho Guesung (Midtjylland) are in good form," adding, "We can utilize Son Heungmin on the flank."

Since transferring from the Belgian league to Turkish powerhouse Beşiktaş in February, Oh Hyungyu has shown the best form among the national team strikers. He scored in three consecutive matches from his Süper Lig debut and has netted five goals in eight games, including cup competitions. He also scored in the home league match against Kasımpaşa on the 20th, just before joining the national team. Cho Guesung also found the net in the first leg of the 2025–2026 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 held at The City Ground in Nottingham, England, on the 13th.

Coach Hong Myungbo will also have to keep an eye on the results of the European playoffs during this A-match period. This is because South Korea's first opponent in the group stage of the 2026 North and Central American World Cup will be determined. South Korea will play its opening match against the winner of European Playoff Group D, which includes Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, and Ireland. In this group, Denmark faces North Macedonia and Czech Republic faces Ireland on the 27th, with the winners of those matches meeting in the final on April 1 to decide who advances to the main tournament.

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