Juan Pich, the coach of the Kuwait national team, sent another round of praise for the South Korean national team.

The South Korean football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Kuwait 4-0 in the final match of Group B of the 10th round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Asian third qualifying round held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m.

With this, Korea completed the World Cup qualifiers undefeated. The national team finished the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the North and Central American World Cup with 11 wins and 5 draws without a single loss, marking an achievement not seen since the 2010 South Africa World Cup 16 years ago.

Korea confirmed its spot in the finals early. On 6th, they secured a 2-0 victory against Iraq away, making history with their 11th consecutive qualification for the World Cup finals. This is the first in Asia and the sixth overall worldwide. In Group B, Korea and Jordan both secured direct tickets to the World Cup.

Furthermore, Korea concluded the final match held at home with a resounding victory. In the last match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers, they unfortunately lost against the United Arab Emirates, but this time they produced a different outcome. The scoring was opened by Jeon Jin-woo's goal in the 30th minute of the first half, followed by consecutive goals from Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyun-kyu, and Lee Jae-sung in the second half.

On the other hand, Kuwait finished the third qualifiers without a win. They dreamt of a victory against Korea, but unable to overcome the skill gap, they accepted a final record of 5 draws and 5 losses.

After the match, coach Pich noted, "Today's game was very difficult. As I mentioned yesterday, Korea is one of the world's top teams. We tried our best to compete against a stronger Korea, but unfortunately, we lost." He added, "We tried to minimize the gap in the first half, but the result was disappointing. Korea is a strong team individually and as a team and knows how to take advantage of every opportunity. That is why we were able to have a good game."

Pich, who was also a top scorer in La Liga during his playing career, praised Korea's attacking unit when asked about it, saying, "Every time I see the South Korean national team, I feel they are displaying exceptional skill. Their capabilities are outstanding both individually and as a team. Their fast movements, tactical awareness to exploit opportunities, and spatial utilization are excellent. Although they are not yet widely known globally, there are outstanding players. Their tactics are excellent, and there are players who perform at a high level. I believe the South Korean national team is developing every day."

In an interview the day before the match, coach Pich claimed that "Korea is one of the seven strongest teams in the world," surprising many. He firmly stated after the match, "Of course, my opinion has not changed. Today's performance was also remarkable. I want to emphasize once again that the South Korean national team is very impressive in terms of tactics, stamina, and control of the game."

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