SportsNews

Hong Myung-bo: Paraguay Win Overcomes Brazil Psychological Blow

Published

5 months ago

October 14, 2025

Hong Myung-bo, right, football national team coach, gives tactical instructions to Kim Min-jae during a friendly match against Paraguay held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 14th. /Newsis

South Korea’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who led his side to a 2-0 friendly victory over Paraguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 14th, said, “The biggest gain was overcoming the psychological difficulties the players faced after a heavy 0-5 defeat to Brazil.”

The national team, which suffered a humiliating loss to Brazil due to poor performance on the 10th, secured a complete victory against Paraguay with Um Ji-sung’s opening goal in the 15th minute of the first half and Oh Hyeon-gyu’s additional goal in the 35th minute of the second half. Although there were unstable defensive moments, the players’ coordination and organic movement improved compared to the Brazil match.

Coach Hong explained, “We approached this October’s two consecutive matches with the mindset of simulating the World Cup main round first and second matches. After facing a strong team in the first match, we aimed to prepare how to approach the second match.” He added, “Although there were only three days to prepare after the difficult first-match defeat, the players overcame it admirably. Everyone in the team overcame physical difficulties and fear of defeat by fulfilling their roles in their respective positions.”

Son Heung-min, the team’s ace and captain, struggled somewhat, failing to take a single shot during his 45 minutes as a forward in the first half, following his poor performance against Brazil. He was substituted with Oh Hyeon-gyu at the start of the second half. Coach Hong said, “We originally planned to deploy him in the second half, but considering events commemorating his record as South Korea’s all-time leading appearance-maker in A matches, we decided to start him. We will continue to consider when and where to utilize Son Heung-min based on his physical condition.”

The national team is scheduled to play two more friendly matches at home next month. They will face Bolivia on the 14th of next month, and the opponent for the remaining match will be confirmed and announced soon. Coach Hong stated, “There are now four to six evaluation matches left until the World Cup main round. Until now, we had to test various tactics by changing players, but from November onward, we need to narrow down the scope.”

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Chelsea mathematically out of title race after 3-0 defeat to Everton

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.

This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.

However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.

Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.

The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.

Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.

SportsNews

Super Eagles player bounced me from Iheanacho’s room — Osimhen

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.

According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.

Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.

He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.

“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”

Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.

SportsNews

AFCON 2025; Drama as Senegal Reportedly Relocates Trophy To Military Base After CAF Decision (Video)

Published

3 days ago

March 20, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.

‎It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.

This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.

‎ According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.

The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.

In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.