[Breaking] Hong Myungbo's Squad Hits the Post Three Times, Suffers 0-4 Defeat to Ivory Coast

Amid a streak of bad luck that saw the ball hit the goalpost three times, the South Korea national football team lost 0-4 to African powerhouse Ivory Coast in their first match of the final friendly series before the opening of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

Players of the South Korea national football team are disappointed after conceding a second goal in added time of the first half during the international friendly against Ivory Coast at the Milton Keynes Stadium MK in the UK on the 28th (Korea time). Photo by Yonhap News

Under the leadership of head coach Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national team collapsed, conceding two goals in both the first and second halves during the friendly against Ivory Coast held at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, UK, on the afternoon of the 28th (Korea time).

The defense crumbled rather easily, leading to a series of goals conceded, and luck was not on their side. In the first half, South Korea experienced misfortune as sharp shots from Oh Hyeon-gyu and Seol Young-woo struck the goalpost in quick succession and bounced out.

Even after making a bold move by substituting in Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in in the second half, South Korea could not manage to score. While Lee Kang-in's left-footed mid-range shot also hit the goalpost, their bad luck continued, and instead, they ended up conceding two more goals to the opponent.

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