Seoul: The final score indicated that South Korea emerged victorious against Ghana with a 1-0 win in their friendly football match held on Tuesday night in Seoul. However, the head coach of the South Korean team, Hong Myung-bo, expressed dissatisfaction with his team's overall performance, particularly highlighting issues in the midfield.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong Myung-bo addressed the media in a post-match press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium, stating, "Overall, the match did not go the way we wanted it to, especially in the first half. I think we had some problems with our play in the midfield. We made some adjustments for the second half and our substitutes performed better."

The South Korean team faced challenges due to the absence of key midfielder Hwang In-beom, who was sidelined with a thigh injury shortly before the national team training camp. Additionally, Paik Seung-ho, considered a strong replacement for Hwang, was also unavailable due to a shoulder injury.

Hong was tasked with finding the right combination in the midfield, first against Bolivia last week and then against Ghana. The duo of Jens Castrop and Kwon Hyeok-kyu started together for the first time in midfield, with Kwon making his senior international debut. Their lack of experience as a unit was evident.

Despite Ghana's less aggressive pressing compared to Bolivia, the South Korean midfielders struggled to effectively connect with their attacking teammates. This resulted in forward Oh Hyeon-gyu being left isolated due to consistently uninspired passing.

Hong elaborated, "Once the midfielders take the ball from the defenders, they have to drag opposing midfielders or forwards toward them to create some space in the back. And then the other players have to move effectively away from the ball to take advantage of such extra space. We didn't do a good job of that in the first half, though things improved a bit in the second half."

While acknowledging the midfield issues, Hong noted that the team did not concede any goals during the month, which he viewed as a positive aspect. He emphasized the importance of midfielders being adept in both offensive and defensive capacities and expressed optimism about resolving some challenges once the injured players return.

Hong also commended goalkeeper Song Bum-keun, who delivered a strong performance by making key saves in only his second international appearance. Song, who had been primarily a third-string goalkeeper, stepped up following an injury to Kim Seung-gyu during the Bolivia match. His performance against Ghana justified Hong's decision to start him.

"I think he was outstanding today," Hong remarked, highlighting Song's consistent form for his club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, where he contributed to their K League 1 title win. "He has been playing well for his club all year and this was an extension of that."