Korea secure first win under Hong with 3-1 victory over Oman

Korea beat Oman 3-1 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, breaking a deadlock with two goals in the second half to salvage their first win under new manager Hong Myung-bo.

Korea's Hwang Hee-chan, center right, celebrates scoring with Son Heung-min during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Oman at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Korea beat Oman 3-1 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, breaking a deadlock with two goals in the second half to salvage their first win under new manager Hong Myung-bo.

Korea struggled to dominate the match at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman, but still managed to capitalize on key opportunities to seal an important three points in the third round of qualifiers.

Hong made some changes in his starting XI from his first game in charge last week that ended with a goalless draw against Palestine.

Defensive midfielder Park Yong-woo replaced Jung Woo-young and forward Oh Se-hun started in lieu of Joo Min-kyu, who proved to be less effective in the No. 9 position than Oh last week. Hwang Hee-chan also started as a right winger after being benched in the Palestine game, and Jeong Seung-Hyeon replaced Kim Young-gwon in the back line.

Of the new additions, only Hwang had a noteable impact on the game — or at least a positive one.

The first 10 minutes went solidly in Korea’s favor, with the Taeguk Warriors attempting multiple shots, although the team struggled to get the ball to the center and progressed build-ups from the edges.

But Hwang fired a shot outside the penalty area to open the scoring in the 10th minute that gave Korea an early advantage and boosted the team’s confidence. With the lead, Korea tried to snatch the ball aggressively and recorded more shots on target.

The team still failed to penetrate the center of Oman’s defense. Hwang In-beom and Park couldn’t make effective passes in the center of the pitch, leaving fullbacks Lee Myung-jae and Seol Young-woo to make crosses from the edges instead.

Oman did not stay quiet, however, with the team playing a high line and carrying the ball deep into the Korean half from around the 20th minute mark.

Defenders Kim Min-jae and Lee Myung-jae were there to get the ball out and the shots Oman did attempt went off target, although that turned out not to matter when Jeong was charged with an own goal for turning Harib Al-Saadi's free kick into the net in stoppage time.

Both sides returned in the second half without any substitutions. Oman’s dense defense repeatedly proved to be a problem for Korea, with multiple defenders marking Son Heung-min or Lee Kang-in at the same time.

Korea had many corner kicks in the second half, but the Omani defense made an adjustment for every cross or shot Korea attempted.

Striker Oh, meanwhile, lacked a powerful presence in front. He ended up being substituted off for midfielder Lee Jae-sung, who could provide more fluidity in build ups.

The addition of Lee saw Korea gain more possession in the Oman territory, giving Son space to shoot outside the penalty box and reclaim the lead in the 82nd minute.

Oman pushed up the field for the remainder of the game including a long 16-minute stoppage time, but none of their efforts turned into an equalizer. Joo, who came on in the second half, found the back of the net in the 11th minute of stoppage time to seal the win.

The victory comes after Hong has drawn criticism from Korean football fans for his inability to lead Korea to a win over Palestine that sits over 70 FIFA rankings below Korea last week and his call to take the national team job despite his previous intention to reject the offer.

Hong previously indicated that he would refuse the job, but he reversed his decision and left the Ulsan HD manager position during the ongoing 2024 K League 1 season.

"This was a difficult match," Hong said after the game. "I'd like to congratulate my players. Overall, things went according to our plan. When the match was tied in the second half, we made some tactical changes and the players responded well."

Speaking after the game, Son praised both his squad and the rising quality of football in Asia.

"Winning never gets old. And to keep winning, everyone has to sacrifice and work hard," Son said. "And I think everyone did their part today, and that's why we were able to come away with such a good result."

"We'll try to play the best match of our lives every time. Asian teams have made so much progress that as an Asian myself, it makes me proud. It was great to play such a high-quality match, and we'll have to work even harder. Whether we play at home or away, I think every match will be difficult."

Son also complimented the pitch quality at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, mentioning the contrast with the quality of the pitch at Seoul World Cup Stadium, which came under fire last week.

"The field was in such excellent shape that we played with confidence," Son said. "I hope conditions at our home stadium will continue to improve."

Tuesday’s fixture wraps up the September international break for Korea, with the third round of qualifiers set to resume next month.

Korea need to finish the third round as Group D winners or runners-up, as only top two teams each from three groups in Asia directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Third and fourth-placed teams on the six-team table in each group head to the fourth round to vie for World Cup tickets again.

"We have eight matches to go and that means we have eight more opportunities to play our best," Son said. "If we can play with confidence like we did today, I believe we will be in good shape."

BY PAIK JI-HWAN AND JIM BULLEY [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]