Headache for Hong as Taeguk Warriors' big guns fail to hit target for clubs
Published: 14 May. 2026, 07:00
Hong Myung-bo, manager of the Korean national team, looks on during a press conference after a friendly against the Ivory Coast at Stadium MK in Britain on March 28. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
With just weeks to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Korea’s biggest guns are struggling to hit the target, giving manager Hong Myung-bo a new set of concerns as the world's biggest sporting event approaches.
Strikers Cho Gue-sung has gone nine straight matches without a goal, Son Heung-min has scored only twice this season for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Oh Hyeon-gyu has failed to find the net in his past four appearances despite a strong start at Besiktas.
Cho, who earned the nickname “the miracle man” after returning from a lengthy injury layoff, has endured the longest scoring slump among Korea’s forwards.
The 28-year-old rose to stardom after scoring twice against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but a knee injury suffered in 2024 sidelined him for more than a year after complications developed. A return to the pitch in September of last year appeared to signal a revival, and Cho even reclaimed his spot on the national team.
However, the momentum has faded this year.
The FC Midtjylland striker has gone scoreless in nine consecutive matches, including eight league games, since scoring against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League round of 16 on March 13. The club has also slipped to second place in the title race for the Danish league during Cho's goal drought.
Korea's Son Heung-min, left, controls the ball against Jordan's Mohannad Abu Tana during a World Cup qualifier in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on March 25, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]
National team captain Son has also struggled to rediscover his scoring touch.
Son has bagged 15 assists in 18 matches this season, but has only scored two goals.
The LAFC star has failed to score in 10 consecutive outings since finding the net against Cruz Azul in a semifinal leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup on April 8.
The decline marks a sharp contrast from last season, when he scored 12 goals in just 13 appearances after joining LAFC from Tottenham Hotspur in August of last year. Nine of those goals came in 10 league matches.
Besiktas forward Oh Hyeon-gyu celebrates scoring during a Turkish Cup matach against Caykur Rizespor at Tupras Stadium in Turkey on March 4. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Oh, who had been enjoying a breakout season, has also cooled off recently.
The 25-year-old joined Besiktas
from KRC Genk in February and quickly drew the attention of scouts across Europe after scoring eight goals in 16 appearances. Reports last month even linked him with "interest from Manchester United."
However, Oh has failed to score in his past four matches. He also failed to find the net in Besiktas’s 1-0 loss to Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup semifinals last Wednesday.
“I want to sincerely apologize for yesterday's result,” Oh wrote on social media after the defeat. “I will push myself more, fight more and give everything I have for this badge, for this club and for all of you.”
The Korean national team celebrates after a 1-0 win over Ghana at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Nov. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]
The drop in form of the once-lethal Son in particular, right before what is likely his last World Cup, is a potential problem for the Taeguk Warriors — and a relief for their Group A opponents.
"For Bafana, [nickname for South Africa's men's national football team] Mexico and the Czech Republic, however, Son's struggles could offer a bit of encouragement heading into the group stage," reported South African football outlet
KickOff
on Monday.
Some at home aren't so worried, though.
“Son Heung-min and Cho Gue-sung are veterans who have scored at the World Cup, and Oh Hyeon-gyu has also proven himself across several European leagues,” said Hyun Young-min, a member of the 2002 World Cup side and currently an official at the Korea Football Association.
“I believe this is only a temporary slump. Experience matters more on the biggest stage than numbers alone can explain.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [
[email protected]
]
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