Coach Hong Myung-bo, ahead of the Iraq match, said, "The game will not be easy...I'll definitely get a point."

Coach Hong Myung-bo, ahead of the Iraq match, said, "The game will not be easy...I'll definitely get a point."

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Coach Hong Myung-bo of the South Korean national soccer team, who will confirm his qualification for the 11th consecutive FIFA World Cup finals just by drawing in an away A match in Iraq for the first time in 35 years, promised a "must win."

Coach Hong Myung-bo said at an official press conference held at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq on the 5th (Korea time), "I certainly don't think tomorrow's game will be easy for us," adding, "From the coach's point of view, I trust the players and believe they will do well."바카라

The Taeguk Warriors will play Iraq at 3:15 a.m. on the 6th at Basra International Stadium in the 9th of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup.

The trip to Iraq came 35 years after the friendly (0-0 draw) in Baghdad in February 1990.

South Korea has four wins and four draws (16 points) with two games left in the third qualifying round, beating Jordan (3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 13 points) and Iraq (3 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses, 12 points) to lead Group B.

As a result, the national team will win a ticket to directly advance to the World Cup finals in North Korea, China, and the U.S., which will be given up to the second place in the group just by drawing in the match against Iraq.

If this happens, South Korea will make the World Cup finals for the 12th time in its career, including the 1954 Swiss Games, which was its 11th consecutive appearance since the 1986 Mexico Games.
South Korea is far ahead of Iraq with 10 wins, 12 draws, and two losses in the past, but it is burdensome that local temperatures in Iraq soar to 45 degrees Celsius during the day and stay at 35 degrees Celsius during the evening.

Coach Hong said, "Our players have done well so far and I expect them to play well tomorrow," and stressed, "We will prepare well to win good points."

Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), who also held a press conference together, said, "The match against Iraq is an important game to advance to the World Cup, so the players prepared well."

"As much as I have to face a good team called Iraq in the away game, I feel a lot of pressure, but the players came together and prepared well," he said, adding, "I believe I will get good results if I show them well on the field."