South Korea Surrender Late Equaliser as Oman Claim World Cup Qualifying Draw

In a surprising turn of events in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, South Korea allowed a late equaliser from Oman, resulting in a disappointing 1-1 draw for Son Heung-min’s squad.

After Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan netted an impressive goal in the first half, it seemed the home side was on track to secure all three points.

However, in the 80th minute, Ali Al Busaidi’s strike from just outside the area took the crowd at Goyang Stadium by surprise.

Despite the setback, South Korea remains at the top of Asian qualifying Group B, holding a solid position to potentially join Japan, the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

The Koreans will face off against Asian Cup finalists Jordan at home on Tuesday.

South Korea broke the deadlock just four minutes before half-time when Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in delivered a beautifully threaded through-ball to Hwang.

Hwang controlled the ball expertly with his right foot, before firing a precise left-footed shot that found the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini with no chance.

Captain Son, who has had a challenging season with Tottenham, attempted a long-range effort during first-half injury time.

Soon after the interval, the 32-year-old posed another threat as Hong Myung-bo’s side searched for a second goal.

Oman had been quiet for most of the match until Busaidi struck unexpectedly, sending a left-foot shot that deceived goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo.

As it stands, South Korea sits at 15 points in the group, with Iraq trailing in second place on 11 points but having played one match less.

Jordan occupies third with nine points, while Oman is fourth with seven, leaving three matches remaining in the qualification campaign.

The top two teams will qualify directly, while the third and fourth place finishers will enter an additional qualifying round.

Keep up with the AFC World Cup qualifiers here.