SEOUL, NOV 20 – Son Heung-min said South Korea is to blame and can learn from the opposing team, Palestine after being tied 1-1 in the World Cup qualifiers.
South Korea are still on track for the 2026 World Cup in North America but yesterday’s draw in Jordan left captain Son disappointed.
Palestine sprung a surprise by taking the lead as early as the 12th minute in Amman when Zaid Qunbar capitalized on a mistake made by Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-Jae.
Son equalized four minutes later with his 51st goal for his country and although the visitors dominated thereafter, Palestine smartly held on until the end of the game.
“I think we made the game quite difficult because of our mistakes, but even after conceding, we managed to get back up and immediately equalized,” Son told reporters.
“If we take advantage of all our chances, we can definitely win, so I feel a little bit sorry about that.”
South Korea still lead Group B with four matches remaining in the qualifying phase, with the top two qualifying for the World Cup.
Palestine are bottom of the group but their dream of a first World Cup is far from over, with the third- and fourth-placed teams entering the extra qualifying phase.
The 32-year-old son of the Spurs striker had words of encouragement for the Palestinians, who play and train abroad because of the war in Gaza.
“I want to give a standing ovation to the Palestinian forces,” he said. – AFP
