Korea Republic vs Singapore
A stacked Korea Republic football squad will start their campaign in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against a striving Singapore team. Takayuki Nishigaya and his team will visit Seoul to try to extend their winning streak with a newly formed roster against a proven Korea team.
The home team will feature world-class talents such as Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Min Jae Kim, Kang In Lee, and many others to try and carry their country to the 2026 World Cup against other teams in Group C. 24th in the latest FIFA rankings, South Korea are the top team in Group C, leaps ahead of China (No. 79), Thailand (No. 112) and Singapore (No. 155).
Singapore are well aware of the prowess Korea have, and Nishigaya is confident that they can win against their adversary if they band together as a team and collectively do their best to come out as the victors. “Our opponents in Round 2 are of a higher level than us, and we will need to fight together as a team more than ever before if we are to get a positive result against them,” Nishigaya said.
Read more below as SBOTOP presents a preview of the clash between these Asian rivals.
Talking Points
Hwang Hee-chan and Son Heung-min to lead Korea Republic
Two prolific forwards bolster the Republic’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Hwang Hee-chan and Son Heing-min have been on a tear for their clubs in the Premier League, and Korea head coach Klinsmann is hoping his players’ form in the English top flight will translate well into his system at the World Cup qualifiers.
Son Heung-min is the captain of one of the World Cup 2026 odds favourites, the Korea Republic, and the captain of his Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. Son has been in spectacular form in the English top flight, scoring eight goals in 12 games for Tottenham. Also, he is the third-highest goal scorer in the Premier League, tied with West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen.
After making his debut for the Korean national team in 2010 at the age of 18, Son went on to become the bearer of the armband for his country. He has participated in a number of significant international competitions for his country, such as the AFC Asian Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2019 and the FIFA World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
In fact, he is widely known to be the best player South Korea has ever produced. Son finished 11th in the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings, the highest an Asian has ever finished in the rich and long history of the Ballon d’Or. In his 115 games donning his nation’s jersey across all kinds of competition, Son has tallied 38 goals and 18 assists.
With a talent like Son leading your squad and a handful of elite footballers right beside him, Jürgen Klinsmann should be confident with his team and should be poised to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Alongside Son, another Premier League standout will be available for Klinsmann. Wolverhampton’s Hwang Hee-chan will man the wing for South Korea and significantly bolster their offence. Hwangso is known for his aggressive playing style and his act of scoring goals.
He has been a bonafide goal scorer in the Premier League this season as he already scored six goals, tying the likes of Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins, Nicolas Jackson, Dominic Solanke and Bryan Mbeumo at the sixth highest goal scorers in the English top flight, so surely, he is capable of producing World Cup 2026 highlights as well.
Familiar names headline Singapore lineup
Just last week, Takayuki Nishigaya announced the final squad for the Singapore national football team’s World Cup qualifying match against the Korea Republic, which includes forward Ikhsan Fandi and defender Safuwan Baharudin.
“Safuwan Baharudin makes a very much welcomed return to the national team fold after being cleared by the local medical team to play competitively after sustaining a concussion injury last year,” the Football Association of Singapore stated.
Head coach Nishigaya exclaimed his delight with his bolstered arsenal: “We missed having Ikhsan upfront during the Round 1 qualifying games hence it is a major boost to have him back in the team again, but we will need to be cautious by easing him back into the team.”Below is the Singapore Men’s Squad for November 2023
Forwards: Daniel Goh, Hafiz Nor, Ikhsan Fandi, Ilhan Fandi, Shawal Anuar
Midfielders: Adam Swandi, Hami Syahin, Hariss Harun, Shah Shahiran, Shahdan Sulaiman, Song Ui-young, Zulfahmi Arifin
Defenders: Amirul Adli, Anumanthan Mohan Kumar, Jacob Mahler, Irfan Fandi, Safuwan Baharudin, Ryhan Stewart, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen, Zulqarnaen Suzliman
Goalkeepers: Hassan Sunny, Syazwan Buhari, Zharfan Rohaizad
History
These national teams have faced each other 26 times prior to their upcoming World Cup qualifying match, and in those 26 outings, Korea have registered 21 wins, three draws, and two losses against Singapore.
In recent form, Korea have been on a three-game winning streak, thrashing Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Vietnam. In those three matches, Son and his team tallied 10 goals and, more impressively, finished all the matches with a clean sheet. Korea have been undefeated since June of this year, and they’re looking to extend that streak against No. 112-ranked Singapore.
Meanwhile, Singapore have been on a streak themselves. They beat Chinese Taipei and Guam twice before suffering a 0-2 clean sheet defeat against Tajikistan. Harun and his team will need a herculean effort to extend their winning streak as they face the Korea Republic in Seoul.
What are the odds?
Singapore’s Asian HCP +5.50 at 1.62 should be a clear option for punters to consider, as it holds the most bang for your buck, given the lofty feat the Korea Republic need to achieve. Even though Korea are the clear favourites to win this match, I personally don’t think it would be a thrashing of 5.5 goals or more.
Another line that holds value is goals under 6.5 at 1.62. This goes hand in hand with the betting tip above. Singapore have won three in a row going into their match against Korea, so expect a little push from their offence, and they held their opponents to just one goal in each of those matches.
Korea Republic have been ramping up their goals match after match, so it is wise to expect a couple of goals from the in-form club. But to find the net more than 6.5 times against a promising Singapore squad is a tall order for any team in the region.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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