It’s been a tough 2024 season so far, but Son Heung-min and his South Korea teammates can turn the tide with a win over Singapore on Thursday and that will be enough to secure a place in the final round of Asian World Cup qualifiers.
South Korea is on track to qualify for its 11th consecutive World Cup, Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in February. Team Disappointing performance at the Asian Cup.
Interim manager Hwang Sun-hongHe was not appointed to the permanent council because South Korea failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1984.
Coach Kim Do-hoon is currently in charge of two matches over six days against Singapore and China in Group C, with South Korea needing one more point to progress to the next stage.
“We have to show our fans the direction we want to go,” Kim said, “and we have to show it not with words but with our actions on the pitch.”
The 50,000-seat match between South Korea and Singapore National Stadium, featuring English Premier League stars such as Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan, sold out.
The top two teams from each of the nine groups in the second round will advance to the group stage, which will award six of Asia’s eight automatic World Cup spots. The Men’s World Cup will be played for the first time with 48 teams and will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
Two further Asian World Cup qualifiers will be decided in a group stage in October 2025. Teams from Asian federations can also advance through an intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 2026.
India, eight points behind leaders Qatar and just ahead of Afghanistan on goal difference in Group A, will take on bottom-placed Kuwait in Kolkata. A win would see India move closer to the final stages of the continental qualifiers for the first time.
“This is a very important match,” India coach Igor Stimac said. “This match can change the careers of our players so I want the players to enjoy it and give their best.”
This is also Sunil Chhetri to retire after 151st international match Among active players, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more international goals than Chhetri’s 94.
“I am going to enjoy every training session with the national team,” the 39-year-old Chhetri said when announcing his retirement last month. “I don’t feel any pressure. There is pressure in the matches. Against Kuwait we need three points to progress to the third round. But strangely, I don’t feel any pressure.”
Saudi Arabia need a point away to Pakistan to progress in Group G, but their manager Stephen Constantine expects it to be a stiff test for Roberto Mancini’s side in Islamabad.
Pakistan have already been eliminated after four straight losses and a -19 goal difference, but they will be looking to use their home advantage to beat Saudi Arabia.
“We are playing against Saudi Arabia, they are a strong team but they will come here and play on an uneven ground and we will give them hell,” Constantine said.
Indonesia is second in Group F and on the brink of making a historic first appearance in the Asian final qualifying round.
Indonesia are four points ahead of third-placed Vietnam and a win over already-qualified Iraq would be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages.
“Iraqi’s players are very good,” Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong said, “but this is a home game so we will do our best to do well in the match.”
The Palestinians are second in Group I, five points behind Australia, and need only a draw against Lebanon on Thursday to progress to the next stage.
Due to the security situation in Gaza, the match will be played in Doha, Qatar.
Australia, Japan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran They have already qualified for the third stage with two games remaining..
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer