South Korean forward cautious about 2018 World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min said on Tuesday he feels cautious rather than confident about the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Son is one of the 28 players who made South Korea's provisional roster for the World Cup in Russia which was unveiled Monday, reports Yonhap news agency.

South Korean head coach Shin Tae-yong needs to drop five players from the preliminary list to confirm his final 23-man squad by June 4, but Son is considered one of the players who is safe from roster cuts due to his performance in Europe.

"In my first World Cup in 2014, I had big expectations and confidence, but for this year's World Cup, I feel cautious and actually have some concerns," Son said in a press conference organised by his sponsor Adidas.

"I learned from my previous experience that confidence doesn't always bring success at the World Cup. I hope many players can recognise this."

South Korea are considered the weakest team in Group F at the 2018 World Cup. South Korea will open their Group F campaign with Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18 and will face Mexico five days later in Rostov-on-Don. Then they will meet defending champions, Germany, in Kazan on June 27.

"I really think that we can see humiliation," he said. "I think if we can just pass the group stage, that will be a success. I'm really desperate for this World Cup."

--IANS

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