“Even when Son Heung-min was the captain, he didn’t handle it alone, so if we as a team can get through this time, I think it will be a good time for the juniors.”
Lee attended the official press conference this morning (Sept. 9) before South Korea’s third qualifying Group B match against Jordan at the 2026 North and Central American World Cup.
The absence of Son Heung-min was a common concern for local reporters in Jordan as well as Korea. Under these circumstances, Hong Myung-bo revealed before yesterday’s training that he has named 토토사이트 Kim Min-jae as interim captain and Lee Jae-sung as vice captain for the two A matches.
Lee Jae-sung, who was appointed as vice captain under interim coach Kim Do-hoon in June to help Son Heung-min, has been trusted by Hong Myung-bo to continue as vice captain this time around.Lee Jae-sung has the most A-Match experience (90 matches) as of the October A-Match roster. As such, he is well qualified to take on the veteran role of anchoring the team without Son Heung-min.
At the press conference, Lee Jae-sung first said, “I know Son Heung-min’s influence because we played together for a few years, and it’s true that I have regrets that I couldn’t be with him due to injury.”
However, Lee believes that Kim Min-jae, who will be wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in a year, will be able to lead the team well enough. “Sometimes this is a good experience for the juniors. I think Kim Min-jae is a talented player who will lead the national team in the future, and he has enough qualities,” Lee said. ”I will also help him, and I think he will overcome this situation with the help of good teammates beside him.”
Lee, who was the only player to make the AFC Best 11 despite the team’s loss in the Asian Cup quarterfinals against Jordan in February, recalled that he was disappointed with the number of chances the opposition created. “The Jordanian team has a lot of players with good skills and speed in the forward line, so we are preparing for this match by compensating for that,” he said.
A chance to avenge their heartbreaking loss at the last Asian Cup. Lee Jae-sung, who also rated Jordan as his toughest opponent, is also determined to win tomorrow. “All the players are very aware of the importance of tomorrow’s match, so we are preparing to the best of our abilities, and we will do our best to deliver joy to the fans who support Korean soccer through victory tomorrow,” said Lee Jae-sung.