Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu revealed he overcame a debilitating fever to emerge as South Korea’s hero by scoring the winner in a dramatic finish against Czechia in the FIFA World Cup opening match on Thursday, June 11.

The Taeguk Warriors lived up to their reputation as second-half specialists by coming back from a goal down at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico. To secure a vital 2-1 win and start their Group A campaign on a high note.

Oh, who plays his club football for Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas, was a major doubt before kick-off after falling ill. However, the 25-year-old forward was brought off the substitutes’ bench in the 69th minute by manager Hong Myung-bo in place of Tottenham Hotspur talisman Son Heung-min.

It took just 11 minutes for the Super-Sub to make its mark. In the 80th minute, Oh found space in the penalty area to deliver a clinical finish, sparking wild celebrations among the traveling South Korean contingent.

Speaking to reporters after the match, an emotional Oh paid tribute to the national team’s backroom staff for preparing him for the match.

“I can’t express my feelings in words,” Oh said. “Today my body temperature went up to 38 degrees Celsius because I was not feeling well. I wondered if I could even play. This was possible only thanks to our staff and the medical team.”

At first it seemed that the match was heading towards a disappointing start for South Korea. After a tense and goalless first half, Czechia broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when defender Ladislav Krejci rose above with a header.

In truth, South Korea refused to surrender. They got a lease of life in the 67th minute when midfielder Hwang In-beom equalized the score with a fine effort, setting the stage for Oh’s bold intervention.

Manager Hong Myung-bo praised his players’ psychological resilience, and emphasized that the team’s refusal to give up was the most encouraging achievement from a challenging opening match.

“It was our first game and it was very difficult,” Hong said in the post-match press conference. “The win in itself makes me happy, but what’s even more positive is that our boys won by refusing to give up. I knew we were capable of winning, so at the 1-1 draw I told the boys to keep playing the way we are playing.”

Having safely secured the three points, South Korea now turn their attention to a strong clash against co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca next week – a match that could decide the winners of Group A.

“Now, Mexico is another important match,” Hong said. “We will spend the next week preparing properly.”

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