Muscat (dpa)
Saroslav Silhavy, the coach of the Oman national football team, apologized to the team’s fans after losing to South Korea 1/3, in the match that brought them together, in the second round of Group Two in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
“I deeply apologize for the negative result, and I thank the fans who attended and supported us throughout the match. Everyone who understands football realizes that the Korean team is strong and has experienced players who play in major leagues,” Shilhafi said in statements published on the AFC’s official website.
“I am proud of my players and what they did during this match. In the first half, we performed well and were able to come back. However, our fitness level declined at the end of the second half and we conceded two goals. Fitness and experience ultimately decided the outcome of this match,” he said, stressing, “Despite this result, I believe that our chances still exist in the competition.”
For his part, South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo considered that the tactical changes in the second half gave the team the victory. He said: “This match was difficult, and I want to congratulate the players from the bottom of my heart. In general, things went according to the match plan.”
“When the score was tied in the second half, we made some tactical changes and the players responded well,” he added. “We slowed down the game towards the end of the first half and that resulted in a goal being conceded. We should have finished the first half without conceding a goal.”
“Our defenders were a bit slow and made it easier for the opposing team to create scoring opportunities, but in the second half we moved the back line and the players executed the plan well,” he added.
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