South Korea fight back to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in World Cup opener

South Korea rallied from a goal down to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening Group A fixture at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. The Czechs took a surprise lead against the run of play when captain Ladislav Krejci headed in a long throw from Vladimir Coufal in the 59th minute. South Korea, who had dominated possession and created numerous chances through captain Son Heung-min, responded swiftly. Eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom, the former Rubin Kazan midfielder, equalised with a composed finish after being teed up by Lee Kang-in. The winner came in the 80th minute, when substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu, the ex-Celtic forward now at Besiktas, converted a low cross from Hwang to complete the turnaround. A late Czech effort was disallowed, and goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made two crucial stops to preserve the victory.

The result lifted South Korea level with co-hosts Mexico on three points at the top of the group, after Mexico had opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over a nine-man South Africa. The match in Guadalajara was played before a crowd that fell well short of the official attendance of 44,985, with noticeable swathes of empty seats. Yet those present were overwhelmingly behind the Koreans, a debt of gratitude dating back to the 2018 World Cup, when South Korea's 2-0 defeat of Germany in the final group game sent Mexico through to the knockout stage at the defending champions' expense. That historical echo lent a partisan edge to an otherwise sparsely populated arena.

Viewed from Moscow, the match carried a particular resonance: Hwang In-beom's equaliser was struck by a player familiar to Russian audiences from his stint with Rubin Kazan, while Russia itself is absent from this tournament due to FIFA sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. Japanese observers noted the incongruity of the official attendance figure, while British reports highlighted Oh Hyeon-gyu's decisive contribution, recalling his time at Celtic. The Indian press captured a detail largely overlooked elsewhere — a disallowed Czech equaliser in the dying moments that could have altered the narrative entirely. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic's goal, fashioned from a long throw by West Ham's Coufal and finished by Krejci, a defender who spent last season on loan at Wolves, underscored the Premier League connections threading through both sides.

For South Korea, the victory validates the resilience of a side built around the enduring quality of Son Heung-min, even as a new generation — Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeon-gyu — steps into decisive roles. The Czechs, by contrast, will rue their inability to capitalise on a rare period of pressure, having registered their first shot on target only with Krejci's goal. With Mexico already three points clear and South Africa reduced to nine men in their opener, Group A is already tilting towards the co-hosts and the Koreans. The Czech Republic must now regroup before facing Mexico, knowing that another defeat would leave their campaign in peril.