Hong Myung-bo's 16-hour long run is over 'Final Battleground'Arrived in Kuwait'The goal is only to win!"
Nov 11, 2024
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South Korea's A national team arrived at Kuwait International Airport on the afternoon of the 11th (Korea time). Early in the day, 10 players, including Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan), Kim Kyung-min (Gwangju), Lee Chang-geun (Daejeon), Lee Myung-jae (Ulsan), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Lee Tae-seok (Pohang), Kim Bong-soo (Kimcheon), Joo Min-gyu (Ulsan), and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia), and Hong's coaching staff gathered at Incheon International Airport to depart. It took nearly 16 hours to travel to Kuwait via Doha, Qatar. At Kuwait International Airport, about 20 people, including Park Jong-seok, ambassador to Kuwait, and Korean residents, welcomed Hong and the team with bouquets of flowers. It was a long journey, but Hong, the coaching staff, and 10 Taegeuk Warriors left the arrival hall with a bright face and resolved to lead the two consecutive games in the Middle East to victory.
Before leaving for Kuwait, there was also a small happening in the national team. Goalkeeper Kim Kyung-min had a hard time getting a domestic flight ticket to Gimpo Airport after the 37th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024' against Jeju United at Jeju World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of the 10th. Kim Kyung-min, who struggled to get a ticket, arrived at Gimpo Airport late in the evening and immediately took a taxi to Incheon International Airport to join the national team.
Hong Myung-bo will play the fifth match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Kuwait at the Jabeur Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City at 11 p.m. on the 14th. It is the first visit to Kuwait in more than nine years. On 8 October 2015, in the second qualifying round of the 2010 World Cup in Russia, South Korea played away to Kuwait. At that time, Koo Ja-cheol (Jeju) won 1-0 with the winning goal. In particular, he boasts an overwhelming record of 7 wins and 1 draw (including 1 confiscation win) in the last 8 matches while leading the past with 12 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses.Korea is currently at the top of the group with three wins and one draw. With this victory over Kuwait as a stepping stone, he is determined to continue his pleasant rise until Game 6 against Palestine scheduled in Amman, Jordan, on the 19th. If you win two consecutive games, you can further increase your chances of going to the finals. After arriving at Kuwait International Airport, the national team will immediately move to their accommodation, unpack their cross-dressing, and start their first training session in the afternoon.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
