Lee Tae-ho: If South Korea Suffers Two Consecutive Losses in World Cup Qualifiers, Coach Hong Myung-Bo Will Definitely Be Fired

On October 9, Lee Tae-ho, a prominent figure in Korean football, discussed the upcoming third and fourth rounds of the third stage of the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup. He stated that if South Korea suffers two consecutive losses, Coach Hong Myung-bo will definitely be fired.

In the Group B of the third stage of the Asian qualifiers, after the first two rounds, Jordan, South Korea, and Iraq all have 4 points with one win and one draw, ranking in the top three. Kuwait has 2 points with two draws, placing fourth, while Palestine has 1 point with one draw and one loss, ranking fifth. Oman, with two losses and no points, is at the bottom. In the upcoming third and fourth rounds, South Korea will face Jordan (away) and Iraq (home), both strong competitors for qualification.

Lee Tae-ho said, “If South Korea can win both of these matches, the prospects for qualification will be quite optimistic. However, if they lose both, the situation will become severe, and Coach Hong Myung-bo will definitely have to step down. The atmosphere in the national team is very tense now, especially with Son Heung-min’s injury, which is a significant blow to the team.”

Although South Korea is the clear favorite for qualification, Lee Tae-ho is not taking it lightly. He added, “The South Korean U23 men’s team has already failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, so there is a possibility that the senior team might also fail to make it to the World Cup. Although South Korea has consistently qualified for the World Cup in recent years, this time around, they are not out of the woods yet.”