▲ The 2026 North and Central America World Cup Group A opening match between South Korea and the Czech Republic held at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 11 (local time).
South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu celebrates after scoring the team's second goal in the second half.
South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu celebrates after scoring the team's second goal in the second half.
Striker Oh Hyeon-gyu (Beşiktaş), who led the South Korean national football team to victory with a comeback winning goal in his first-ever World Cup appearance, revealed that he was in poor condition due to a high fever before the match and expressed his gratitude to the support staff and head coach Hong Myung-bo for giving him the opportunity to play.
Oh scored the decisive winning goal in the 35th minute of the second half, breaking a 1-1 deadlock and securing a 2-1 comeback victory for South Korea against the Czech Republic in the first match of Group A at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, held at Akron Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, on June 12 (KST).
Having started the match on the bench, Oh entered the pitch as a substitute for captain Son Heung-min in the 24th minute of the second half and changed the fate of both teams just 11 minutes later.
In a post-match broadcast interview, Oh became emotional for a moment, saying, "It's a feeling I can't even describe in words." He then confessed, "Actually, I wasn't feeling well before the match today. My fever rose to 38°C (100°F), and I thought a lot about whether I would be able to play."
He then expressed his gratitude, saying, "I was able to play because all the staff and doctors here took care of me. That's how I was able to score."
He added, "Just playing in the World Cup is a moving and grateful experience," and continued, "I am relieved and thankful as a striker that I could score and win because the coach gave me the opportunity."
South Korea will now face the host nation, Mexico, in the second match at the same venue on June 19.
Mexico moved to the top of the group after defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament's opening match held earlier that day.
Oh vowed, "Following the positive energy of today's victory, we will remain humble. Since it is Mexico's home ground, we will analyze the opponent well and pour out 100% of what we can do, or even more, to win."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.