[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] Former South Korea national football team player Ahn Jung-hwan harshly criticized the team's performance against South Africa, saying the coach and the association must be completely changed.
In a match review published in JoongAng Ilbo on the 25th, Ahn Jung-hwan pointed out the South Korea national football team's performance, tactics, and atmosphere under Hong Myung-bo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup match against South Africa.
He began by saying, "Have there ever been such a frustrating match at the World Cup? It was the worst of the three games in this tournament. It was miserable. They could do nothing. They did not even look motivated." He then added, "There was no sense of urgency either. It was not even a case of 'we fought hard in a loss.' I do not even know if this was the World Cup."
He went on to criticize Hong Myung-bo's side, saying, "Tactics? There were none. I could not feel any tactics at all. The structure and timing were both off." He added, "Even while trailing, there was no gamble, no formation change, and no tactical adjustment. If you want to score, you have to push into the box, but there were too many players left behind."
He also addressed the strategy of using Son Heung-min as a second-half substitute, saying he understood the intention to bring him on when the opponent's fitness dropped, but that "it ultimately did not work at all."
He also stressed, "Lee Kang-in carried the attack alone and worked very hard on defense, but he was surrounded by two or three opponents." He added, "South Korea had already exposed all of its tactics over the first two matches. You cannot go into a tournament with just one plan. You have to adapt to the opponent."
He also expressed concern about the team's atmosphere. Ahn Jung-hwan said, "I have played as a player, so I cannot know the internal situation, but it felt like something was wrong, as if something had festered and burst." He added, "They did not show themselves as one team."
He then raised the issue of Hong Myung-bo's responsibility. He said, "The coach is responsible. Times have changed, and players' individuality matters more now, but in the end, it is the coach who builds the team." He added, "Whether they advance to the round of 32 or achieve any result, if you look only at the performance, responsibility is unavoidable."
He continued, "I have said all along that if the national team fails to deliver results, I will be the one to criticize Hong Myung-bo the most strongly." He added, "If things go wrong, the KFA should also be completely changed and overhauled. If there is no fresh change, the same thing will happen again."
He did, however, caution against excessive criticism of the players. He said, "Just because Son Heung-min was rested does not mean the player who started is not good enough. That kind of criticism can only leave the player feeling ashamed." He added, "Rather than celebrating a loss, we should point out what needs to be improved and changed. I am on nobody's side except Korean football's, down to my bones."
narusi@sportschosun.com
