Captain Son Heung-min scored the go-ahead goal late in the second half, as South Korea beat Oman 3-1 for their first win in the current World Cup qualification round in Muscat on Tuesday.

Son broke the 1-1 deadlock with a thunderous strike from outside the box in the 82nd minute at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in the teams’ second Group B match of the third round in the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Tottenham Hotspur captain assisted on South Korea’s two other goals.

South Korea, world No. 23, began the third round with a goalless draw against 96th-ranked Palestine in Seoul last Thursday.

Against No. 76 Oman, South Korea opened the scoring in the 10th minute with Hwang Hee-chan’s goal, before defender Jung Seung-hyun was charged with an own goal during the first-half stoppage time.

Son then put South Korea in front again with his 49th international goal and set up Joo Min-kyu’s stoppage-time goal that rounded out the scoring.

Son Heung-min of South Korea celebrates after scoring a
gainst Oman during the teams’ Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on Sept. 10, 2024. (Yonhap)

This was the first win for head coach Hong Myung-bo in his second stint on the South Korean bench. He previously coached the Taegeuk Warriors from 2013 to 2014, and was brought back in July this year under controversial circumstances.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has been under fire for its opaque hiring process, while Hong has been panned for reneging on an earlier pledge not to leave his K League 1 club, Ulsan HD FC, for the national team post.

Hong was lustily booed by nearly 60,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium before, during and after the Palestine match.

Hwang Hee-chan of South Korea celebrates after scoring against Oman during the teams’ Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on Sept. 10, 2024. (Yonhap)

South Korea have played at every World Cup sin
ce 1986. Their next set of qualifying matches will be against Jordan in Amman on Oct. 10 and against Iraq in Seoul on Oct. 15.

There are three groups of six teams in the third round, and the top two teams from each group will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Teams ranked third and fourth in each group will move on to the fourth round for another shot at qualifying for the big tournament.

Source: Yonhap News Agency