Seoul: South Korea narrowly beat Ghana 1-0 on Tuesday in their final men's friendly football match of the year. Defender Lee Tae-seok headed in the match's lone goal in the 63rd minute before 33,256 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital city on this chilly late autumn night, with world No. 22 South Korea submitting an uninspiring performance against 73rd-ranked Ghana.

According to Yonhap News Agency, second-half substitute Hwang Hee-chan had his penalty saved by Benjamin Asare in the 74th minute, and South Korea survived some dicey moments to hang on for the narrow win. South Korea finished the year with a record of eight wins, three draws, and two losses.

This was also South Korea's final match before the Dec. 5 draw for next year's FIFA World Cup. Tuesday's win, combined with a 2-0 victory over Bolivia last week, all but ensured South Korea will end up in Pot 2 of the draw and avoid getting drawn with two top-20 opponents in the group stage.

Pot 1 will include the three co-hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, plus the top nine qualified nations in the next FIFA rankings, which will be released Wednesday.