World Cup 2026: Staying Undefeated Won’t Be Enough for South Korea

Oman vs Korea Republic

The first matchday of the third round of the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers unboxed several surprises, and Oman and South Korea are the two nations that experienced it firsthand.

Oman and South Korea are expected to compete for the top two spots in Group B, given how they performed in the second round. However, both teams got off to a lacklustre start this week.

Oman sank to the bottom of the group with a 1-0 opening loss against Iraq last night, while South Korea were held to a goalless draw by Palestine in what was one of the most shocking World Cup 2026 results thus far.

So, when Oman and South Korea meet at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday evening, there will be a huge sense of urgency for these two teams to get back on track, and winning is the only way.

 

Talking Points

Oman are armed with youth and experience

Oman made it the third round by cruising to the top spot in second round Group D.

During that period, Oman changed their head coach. Jaroslav Silhavy took over in February following their AFC Asian Cup group exit, and in his first five games as national team manager, he notched three wins, one loss, and one draw.

Silhavy will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation against South Korea. However, he will miss one of their key players.

Tuesday’s suspension for Arshad Al-Alawi stems from his dismissal against Iraq, so Salaah Al-Yahyaei will partner with veteran Harib Al-Saadi in the middle of the park.

Moreover, Al-Ahmar have some firepower in the final third and experience in their four-man backline.

Mohammed Al-Musalami and Ali Al-Busaidi have four goals and 205 caps combined, and Silhavy will have them in the starting XI alongside Ahmed Al-Khamisi and Abdulaziz Al-Shamousi to provide cover for goalkeeper Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini.

Issam Al-Sabhi and Abdulrahman Al-Mushaifri will lead their attack, and they have 15 goals in 61 caps combined.

Al-Mushaifri is the team’s leading scorer in the ongoing qualifiers with three goals after he secured a hat-trick against Chinese Taipei three months ago.

 

South Korea might need to mix things up

South Korean supporters rained boos on head coach Hong Myung-Bo following their abject performance against Palestine.

The Taeguk Warriors looked shaky at the back and were struggling to get Heung-Min Son going during the game, and they almost fell to a 1-0 hole against the Lions of Canaan.

Palestine almost broke the deadlock in the 22^nd minute, only for their effort to be adjudged as offside.

South Korea’s best chance to score was when Lee Kang-In tested Palestinian goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh in two separate sequences. Heung Min-Son also had his chance late in the game, but his shot hit the crossbar.

It’s clear that Hong Myung-Bo will need to make certain adjustments to his starting XI against Oman. He should consider starting Hwang Hee-Chan and Oh Se-Hun on Tuesday since they were more impactful than Lee Jae-Sung and Joo Min-Kyu.

 

History

Oman and South Korea will face off for the first time in nine years. Their last meetup was during the group stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, where South Korea won the game only by one goal.

South Korea went all the way to the final that year but lost 2-1 to hosts Australia. Oman, meanwhile, finished last in Group A after losing all three group stage matches.

Overall, South Korea have recorded five wins and one loss against Oman in all competitions.

The Taeguk Warriors have always qualified for the World Cup since 1986, after a 32-year drought. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, South Korea surprisingly made it to the Round of 16, eventually losing 4-1 to Brazil.

Oman, on the other hand, have never qualified for the World Cup.

 

Betting Tip

The World Cup 2026 odds have South Korea as the favourites to win next week. The Taeguk Warriors are priced at 1.38, whereas Al-Ahmar are 5.40 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.06 in the 1X2 market.

South Korean supporters are growing desperate for a dominant performance from their national team, and Tuesday might be the day for it to happen.

Other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors may also go for alternatives like Over 3.00 at 1.95, Total Goal 4-6 at 2.45, or Total Goal 2-3 at 1.96 if you’re on the safer side.

However, if you fancy South Korea to stay winless, then check out the Correct Score of 0-0, given its huge offer of 15.00.

   

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