“The dream I imagined became a reality…I will run harder”
At 33 years and 343 days old, the oldest player in history to make his first A-Match start, striker Lee Min-kyu (Ulsan) impressed the coach with a solid performance up front. Although he didn’t score an attacking point, Hwang gave him a thumbs-up for “doing enough”.
“I still have 50 points,” he said after his successful debut, “and I’m grateful to the fans for their support. I will play harder without forgetting my gratitude,” he said.
South Korea (22nd in the FIFA rankings), led by Hwang Sun-hong, drew 1-1 at home against Thailand (101st) in the third match of Group C of the second Asian qualifying round for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 21.
The national team settled for a disappointing draw after Son Heung-min (Tottenham) failed to protect a first-half lead. South Korea tops the group with two wins and a draw (7 points).
Lee Min-gyu, the oldest player ever called up to the A team (33 years, 333 days), started and tormented the Thai defense up front until he was replaced by Hong Hyun-seok (Hent) in the 19th minute of the second half.
“I tried and imagined a lot to play for the A team,” said Inhabigyu after the match, “I’m happy that my dream came true, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t win.”
Although he didn’t score a goal, he led the team’s offense with several moves that the coaches wanted to see. With the Thai defense on his back, he showed several good link-up plays with his teammates. On the field, he showed the kind of play that Hwang Sun-hong, the head coach of the national team, and Chung Jo-guk, the current coach of the national team, were known for during their playing days.
“I was asked to come down to the middle and create space for (Son) Heung-min or (Jung) Woo-young-i like a midfielder, not just up top. It’s my favorite role, so I was happy to play,” he said.
He was substituted a little over 19 minutes into the second half with the score tied 1-1.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong had good things to say about Lee Min-gyu’s performance. “He did his part,” he said at the post-match press conference, explaining, “I took him out a little early because I thought he would do that much and it was calculated.”
“If I had won, I would have given him a high score, but since we tied, I can only give him 50 points,” he said when asked about his score in his 메이저토토사이트 debut.
After completing his first A-Match, he will be looking to score his debut goal against Thailand on the 26th.
“The second time is better than the first, right?” he laughed, before adding, “I thought I wasn’t nervous, but I was, so I’ll be a little more relaxed (in the second match).”
“Thai soccer has improved compared to the past,” he said, adding, “As I said before, I will play hard in the next game with my head down.”
He also thanked the fans for their support. “I received a message saying that the late blooming flowers were beautiful,” he said, “and the fans supported me even more. I will play with more heart,” he said.