KUALA LUMPUR – South Korea’s national men’s hockey head coach Min Tae-seok has voiced concern over South Africa’s individual brilliance, which he believes could pose a serious threat to his team’s semi-final ambitions at the ongoing FIH Nations Cup.
His remarks came after South Korea battled to a narrow 3-2 victory over Wales in Group A at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The world number 14 side are currently second in the group with three points from two matches, trailing group leaders France.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Tae-seok emphasised the importance of composure and mental strength as his players prepare to face a dangerous South African side.
“We’re satisfied with the result today, but it wasn’t an easy game. We conceded four penalty corners early on, which really put us under pressure,” he said.
“It was our first time playing against Wales. They’re ranked 18th in the world, and we’re 14th. Korea have done well in recent tournaments, and this was another strong showing against a solid European team.
“The four early corners definitely made things difficult, but the players managed the situation better than they did yesterday.
“South Africa have displayed great individual skills, particularly in two-on-one situations and inside the circle. To beat them, we must stay calm under pressure, especially in our defensive third, and avoid slipping into crisis mode.
“I’m still very disappointed with our performance yesterday. It didn’t meet our expectations, but we’ll learn from it and move forward.”
Meanwhile, Wales head coach Daniel Newcombe said he was generally pleased with his team’s performance despite the loss, but admitted lapses in discipline proved costly.
“Overall, I’m really pleased with how we played. I think we showed some great hockey out there,” he said.
“But, you know, discipline and those small moments—just two minutes—completely changed the game for us.
“We were in complete control, and then suddenly we gave away a corner, turned the ball over, and it’s 2-1. Just like that.
“Then we’re chasing the game. And there were so many cards... But I’m proud of the boys. They stuck with it, we scored again towards the end, and tried to do the right things.
“But at this level, discipline is everything. And today, we just didn’t have enough of it. Honestly, quite frustrating. We were happy with the performance again, but disappointed with the result.
“As a group, we’ve got to learn fast. It’s just small things that need fixing. If we get those right, I really believe we can go far.”
In today’s match, Wales struck first with a Gareth Furlong penalty corner late in the second quarter.
South Korea responded with two quick goals in the third quarter through Yang Ji-hun and Lee Jung-jun to take a 2-1 lead.
Lim Doh-yun added a third in the fourth quarter before Wales’s Rhys Bradshaw narrowed the gap to 3-2 with a penalty corner of his own.
Only 40 spectators were in attendance for the match.
South Korea will next face South Africa on Wednesday, while Wales conclude their Group A campaign against France at the same venue. – June 16, 2025
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