Daejeon: As he was about to enter the pitch for his first international match in 20 months, South Korean forward Cho Gue-sung wasn't feeling nervous at all. "It was fun. I was just so happy to be playing again," Cho said, after celebrating his long-awaited return with a goal in South Korea's 2-0 win over Bolivia in a friendly match at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in the central city of Daejeon. Cho had last scored in January 2024.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho expressed his joy about playing in front of nearly 34,000 fans. "Because I had been away for so long, I didn't think I'd get to play right away," Cho remarked. Cho rose to prominence by scoring twice in a 3-2 loss to Ghana during the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first South Korean player to net multiple goals in a World Cup match. His World Cup success led to a move to the Danish club FC Midtjylland in July 2023, where he scored 12 times in 30 matches, helping them win the league title for the 2023-2024 season.
However, Cho's career was interrupted by knee surgery followed by a bacterial infection, causing him to miss the entire 2024-2025 season. He made his return to competitive football in August this year, scoring three goals in his first 10 league matches, which brought him back into consideration for the national team.
Despite head coach Hong Myung-bo's earlier hints that Cho might not play immediately, the 27-year-old striker was brought on as a second-half substitute for Son Heung-min, who had opened the scoring. Cho capitalized on a defensive error to net South Korea's second goal, describing his determination to score despite losing his balance.
Cho shared his growing confidence since returning to the field in Denmark. "Honestly, I am probably not 100 percent yet physically and I am not where I was before the injury," Cho said. "But I think I've grown stronger mentally." With this goal, Cho has positioned himself as a contender for the forward position in next year's World Cup.
"I want to keep scoring goals and help the team," Cho stated. "I think it's important for me to go back to my club and keep playing well there. I will try to get back to where I was physically and focus on scoring goals."