South Korea's Oh Hyeong-gyu, left, fights for the ball against Kuwait's Talal Alqaisi during the Asian qualifier group B match for the 2026 World Cup between South Korea and Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. (AP)

SEUOL, June 10: Kuwait returned from Seoul after suffering a 4-0 defeat against South Korea at the World Cup Stadium in the South Korean capital. The match was the tenth and final round of Group B in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

South Korea finished top of the group with 22 points, while our team remained in sixth and last place with five points. Throughout the qualifiers, the national team played 10 matches, drawing five and losing five.

Argentina’s coach, Juan Pizzi, started the game with a lineup including Suleiman Abdul Ghafoor, Mishari Ghannam, Mohammed Al-Nassar, Fahad Al-Hajri, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Jassim Al-Matar, Talal Al-Qaisi, Ahmed Al-Zanki, and Youssef Majed.

From the opening minutes, the South Korean team dominated possession and controlled the game, thanks to strong organization and skillful midfield play, launching multiple attacks on Abdul Ghafoor’s goal.

Kuwait, however, retreated too much into midfield despite the match being a formality—South Korea had already secured the top spot and World Cup qualification, while our team was out of the running for direct qualification and the Asian playoffs.

The Koreans varied their attacks well, utilizing both central and wide areas, repeatedly threatening Suleiman’s goal. Suleiman’s alert goalkeeping kept the scoreline respectable in the early stages.

In the 18th minute, Jo Bae nearly scored with a powerful shot from outside the box, which Suleiman deflected for a corner. Korea broke the deadlock in the 30th minute when Jo Won-gyeon scored from a corner, the ball deflecting off Fahad Al-Hajri before crossing the line. Our team’s best chance in the first half came in the 38th minute when Ahmed Al-Zanki surged into the penalty area but mishandled a pass intended for Talal Al-Qaisi.

The second half saw continued Korean dominance, with two quick goals: Kang Lee scored in the 51st minute, followed by Oh Se-hyun in the 54th minute. O also nearly added a fourth goal two minutes later when his shot hit the post after Abdul Ghafoor’s save.

To change the game, coach Pizzi made three substitutions, bringing on Fawaz Ayed, Moaz Al-Asima, and Hussein Ashkanani for Reda Hani, Jassim Al-Matar, and Yousef Majed, but the team’s performance did not improve.

Kuwait earned a corner in the 69th minute, but Fahad Al-Hajri mishandled the delivery, missing the opportunity. Substitute Jeon Lee sealed the victory for South Korea with a fourth goal from inside the penalty area in the 72nd minute.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff