'Striker Survival Competition' Oh Hyun-kyu “Breaking through is my strength”
'Striker Survival Competition' Oh Hyun-kyu “Breaking through is my strength”
Blog Article
Oh Hyun-kyu (23-HNK), the only frontline striker among the “2000s-born” players who have emerged as a key player in the national soccer team's “generation change,” has vowed to survive the competition for a starting spot with his seniors.
“I'm still a young player, and I'm still learning, but I want to show what I can do well as soon as possible,” Oh told reporters before the national team's training session at the Jaber Al-Ahmed International Stadium's auxiliary field in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on Saturday afternoon (Aug. 16).
Oh made his A-match debut in a friendly against Iceland in November 2022 and was consistently included in the national team until the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup earlier this year, but failed to score his debut goal.
Oh almost became a forgotten striker when he was not called up by Hong Myung-bo for the first two matches of the Asia-Pacific Group B qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup in September.
This season, 토토사이트 Oh left Celtic (Scotland) for a new challenge at Feyenoord (Belgium), and he has been on a roll with three goals and one assist in 12 regular-season games this season.
After watching his performance, Hong called him up for the third and fourth matches of the World Cup Asian qualifiers in October, and he answered the call, scoring back-to-back goals in the third match against Jordan (2-0) and the fourth match against Iraq (3-2).
In both games, Oh came off the bench in the second half to score back-to-back goals. The goal against Jordan was his A-match debut.
Oh is competing with Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia) for the top striker spot in the Hongmyung Protection team.
Oh came off the bench in both the 3-1 win over Iraq last month and the 3-1 win over Kuwait on Nov. 14, replacing Osahun, who started both games.
He has yet to get a starting spot for Hong Myung-bok, coming on as a substitute for Lee Min-kyu (Ulsan) against Jordan in October, but he is fulfilling his duties as a 'super sub'.
Oh and Oh Hyun-kyu have two goals apiece for Hongmyung Protection, and they are not only competing for a starting spot, but also for goals.
“My brothers (Joo) Min-kyu and (Oh) Se-hoon, who are currently called up together, are really good players, so it's a stage where I'm training and learning with them,” Oh said, adding, ”It's a really good time for me. If I utilize it well, I will be able to become a better player in the future.” He remained humble.
“I'm still not good enough, but there are still things I can do well,” he said, ”I think I'm better at being aggressive and hitting the ball in a straight line. I think my shooting is stronger than my brothers, both with my left and right foot. I can't wait to show them more,” he said.