Park Ji-sung Slams Sluggish South Korea Against Bafana

Former Manchester United star Park Ji-sung expressed frustration following South Korea's defeat to South Africa, questioning whether the Asian side "truly played with the intent to win."

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This comes after Hugo Broos' men secured a famous 1-0 victory to progress to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the first time Bafana Bafana have advanced from the group stage at any edition of the global showpiece.

Thapelo Maseko's 63rd-minute strike ensured South Africa clinched second place in Group A with four points, while South Korea were left relying on results elsewhere in the hope of qualifying as one of the tournament's eight best third-placed teams.

The Taegeuk Warriors will undoubtedly feel they missed a golden opportunity to secure automatic qualification to the Round of 32.

Park, speaking after the match, openly questioned both the mentality and tactical preparation of the South Korean side.

"We need to reconsider whether this match was truly played with the intent to win," the former Queens Park Rangers midfielder said, according to Star News.

"It was not clear how we intended to attack."

The South Korean legend went on to suggest that there appeared to be little variation in the team's approach throughout the group stage and criticised the lack of a clear attacking identity.

"I believe the tactics were the same for all three matches from the first to the third," Park said.

"The strategy was to focus on defense while attacking, but it was not clear how to attack until reaching the goal area or what to do once there."

Park believes the recurring issues displayed throughout the tournament point to deeper problems in the team's preparation.

"The fact that this was the same issue throughout the first three matches of the World Cup is the problem," he added.

"I wonder if we were not negligent in preparing for the World Cup."

South Korea found themselves chasing the game after Maseko's second-half strike, but Park felt the coaching staff failed to react aggressively enough despite the circumstances.

According to the former midfielder, the team needed to commit more players forward and take greater risks in pursuit of an equaliser.

"We were in a situation where we needed to attack, yet the number of defenders remained unchanged during the match," Park said.

"There should have been more players inside the box. Many players need to move forward.

"Finishing 0-1 or 0-2 does not change the standings. We need to take risks."

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South Korea must now anxiously await the conclusion of the group stage fixtures to discover whether their three-point haul will be enough to earn them a place among the eight best third-placed teams and keep their World Cup dream alive.