Hong's bold gamble: Oh Hyun-gyu starts, Son Heung-min on bench for South Africa clash

South Korea revealed their starting lineup for the group-stage finale against South Africa on Thursday, with a place in the round of 16 on the line. Oh Hyun-gyu, the hero of the Czech Republic match, will make his first World Cup start up front, while captain Son Heung-min will begin the game on the bench.

Coach Hong Myung-bo's squad announced the lineup ahead of their Group A third match against South Africa at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico, kicking off at 10 a.m. Thursday (Korean Standard Time).

The most striking decision is Son's omission from the starting eleven. It is the first time Son has not started a World Cup match since the 2014 Brazil tournament — his first World Cup — 12 years ago. With Son stepping back, the captain's armband passes to defensive anchor Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich.

Oh Hyun-gyu of Besiktas fills the void left by Son. Having scored the goal that set up a comeback victory against the Czech Republic in the opening group match (2-1), Oh will form an attacking trio with Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, all three targeting the South African goal. The return of Hwang, who had been left out of the starting lineup due to injury, adds further firepower to the attack.

The tactical framework has also shifted to a three-back system. Lee Ki-hyuk of Gangwon FC, Kim Min-jae and Lee Han-beom of Midtjylland form a reinforced central defense, while Sul Young-woo of Zvezda and Lee Tae-seok of Vienna line up as wingbacks to balance the team's shape. Lee Tae-seok's inclusion is a surprise move aimed at injecting energy down the flanks. Hwang In-beom of Feyenoord and Baek Seung-ho of Birmingham City will control the midfield, with Kim Seung-gyu of Tokyo in goal.

Three positions have changed from the previous match, a 1-0 loss to Mexico. Son, Lee Jae-sung of Mainz and Kim Moon-hwan of Daejeon have made way for Oh, Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Tae-seok, marking a sweeping overhaul across both ends of the pitch.