Korea Republic vs Jordan
South Korea are almost there in qualifying for World Cup 2026, but their bid may have to wait after a minor setback. Hong Myung-Bo’s men were held to a 1-1 draw against Oman last Thursday, delaying their inevitable early qualification to June. However, they are still at the top of Group B in the third round with 15 points.
Jordan are right behind South Korea, sitting as the second seed with 12 points. They are level with third-seeded Iraq on points but have a superior goal difference. Jamal Sellami’s side is coming off a 3-1 against Palestine last night. An-Nashama must win to hold on to their Top 2 spot since the top two seeds will qualify directly for the World Cup 2026 without going through the fourth (or fifth) round.
Learn more about these two proud nations in today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
South Korea don’t have their defencive pillar
South Korea must tighten up on the defencive end to avoid another letdown, similar to what happened against Oman, and it’ll take a collective effort against Jordan next Tuesday. Centre-back Kim Min-Jae will not be around after he pulled out from the national team due to a nagging Achilles injury. Kyon Kyung-Won has taken his spot in the starting XI. Besides Kim Min-Jae, South Korea will also miss the services of Lee Kang-In, as the PSG playmaker left the match against Oman due to an ankle injury.
The Taeguk Warriors were up by one when Hwang Hee-Chan broke his duck before halftime, but an 80th-minute strike by Ali Al-Busaidi leveled for the Omanis to share the spoils.
South Korea will rely heavily on the experienced duo of Heung-Min Son and Lee Jae-Sung to initiate offence. Son and Lee have 64 international goals and 227 caps combined.Head coach Hong Myung-Bo went with Joo Min-Kyu as their solo striker against Oman, but it didn’t work. Oh Se-Hun could take the no. 9 role this Tuesday.
Jordan have weapons
Jordan are one step closer to qualifying for World Cup 2026 because their injury list has eased up. Musa Al-Taamari and Yazan Al-Naimat are back in action, with the former having found the back of the net against Palestine last night. Defenders Yazan Al-Arab and Abdallah Nasib gave Jordan a quick two-goal lead before Al-Taamari put the final nail in the coffin before halftime. Before taking on Palestine, Jordan notched a 1-1 international friendly draw against North Korea last Saturday.
Yazan Al-Naimat has been An-Nashama’s standout performer in these Asian qualifiers. He is their leading scorer with eight goals, including five in the third round alone. The 25-year-old forward occupies the solo no. 9 spot, with Musa Al-Taamari (with seven goals in the competition) and Mahmoud Al-Mardi providing attacking support. Ali Olwan has six goals in the qualifiers but was not called up by the national team this international break.
History
South Korea and Jordan have already faced off in the third round. The Taeguk Warriors won 2-0 against An-Nashama in the reverse fixture at the Amman International Stadium in October 2024, as Lee Jae-Sung and Oh Hyeon-Gyu found the back of the net.
Before this, Jordan were undefeated against South Korea in their two previous matches, including a 2-0 win in the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals as part of their Cinderella run before losing to Qatar in the final.
The Taeguk Warriors have always qualified for the World Cup since 1986, with their best run being a fourth-place finish in 2002 on home soil. South Korea advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2022 edition in Qatar. On the other hand, An-Nashama have never qualified for the World Cup, and they can do it for the first time this year.
Betting Tip
South Korea are the favourites to win this Tuesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium. The World Cup 2026 odds list the Taeguk Warriors at 1.44 odds to win, whereas An-Nashama are 5.50 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.61 in the 1X2 market. A draw or a loss could complicate matters for the hosts.
Both teams can score goals and create new World Cup 2026 highlights, with the hosts likely to do more in front of their home crowd. Besides our recommended bet, you can check out alternatives like Over 2.50 at 2.00 and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.98. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of South Korea – the result of the reverse fixture – is priced at 6.20 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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