South Korea vs Uzbekistan – News and Probable Lineups

South Korea continues its journey under interim head coach Robert Moreno as they host Uzbequistão at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on Tuesday, with both teams gearing up for their final match before the club season resumes.

The home side has recorded one win, one draw, and one loss in the three outings under their new manager during this international window, while the White Wolves have notched up solid victories against Irã and Síria recently.

Match overview

Following their exit in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this past summer, South Korea parted ways with manager Hong Myung-bo, ending his second tenure after less than two years in charge.

The Tigers of Asia kicked off their World Cup campaign with a comeback 2-1 win over República Tcheca, marking their first opening-game victory since 2010, before facing 1-0 defeats to México and África do Sul, a decision to exclude captain and joint top scorer Son Heung-min from the lineup leading to much confusion.

The Korea Football Association subsequently appointed Spanish coach Moreno on an interim basis, overseeing a six-match contract that will run until November 27, 2026.

Three of those six matches have been completed, with South Korea securing a 3-0 victory over Equador, courtesy of second-half goals by Hyeon-gyu Oh, Son, and Dong-gyeong Lee, marking their first win since June.

A heavy 4-1 loss to Uruguai followed, before ending in a goalless draw against fellow South American side Venezuela last Friday, which means South Korea has now registered every possible result under their new coach.

On the other hand, the visitors are presently under the guidance of Italian football great Fabio Cannavaro, who is set to celebrate one year in charge of Uzbequistão on the same day as this friendly match.

Cannavaro, who has made 136 appearances for Italy, has recorded five wins, two draws, and six losses in his 13 matches at the helm of the White Wolves.

Similar to their opponents, Uzbequistão was eliminated from the World Cup after falling to Colômbia, Portugal, and DR Congo, finishing at the bottom of Group K with only two goals scored while conceding 11.

However, more recently, Cannavaro’s team has enjoyed a successful international break, triumphing over Irã and Síria, managing to score seven goals over their last two matches while conceding just twice.

These victories indicate visible progress, yet conceding in both fixtures means Uzbequistão has failed to maintain a clean sheet in their last seven encounters.

The teams will clash on Tuesday night, with South Korea holding the upper hand historically, remaining unbeaten in their last nine matches against Uzbequistão.

Team News

Both teams have made significant rotations in their squads during this international window and approach their final match without any new injuries reported.

Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Son is just one goal shy of becoming South Korea’s top scorer and is anticipated to lead the team once more as he aims to net his 59th goal in his 151st match for the national side.

Moreno is likely to continue with the 4-4-2 formation that he has employed in each of his three encounters at the helm, with Song Bum-kuen likely to stay in goal after taking over from Kim Seung-gyu last time out.

Meanwhile, Uzbequistão will look to secure three consecutive victories for the first time under Cannavaro as they head to East Asia.

Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to keep his spot in the back four, while captain Eldor Shomurodov could return to the starting lineup after starting their last match on the bench.

Goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov is also anticipated to remain in goal despite scoring an own goal during the last match in stoppage time.

South Korea probable starting XI:

Song; Seol, H. Lee, Min-jae, Cho; K. Lee, Park, In-beom, Kim; Oh, Son

Uzbekistan probable starting XI:

Nematov; Karimov, Khusanov, Urozov, Mahamadjonov; Khamrobekov, Mozgovoy; Amanov, Esanov, Faizullaev; Norchaev

Uzbequistão arrives for this matchup in fine form, but they face a South Korea side eager to conclude the international fixtures on a high note following two underwhelming results in their last two games.

A tightly contested encounter is anticipated in Daejeon, with both teams likely cancelling each other out and sharing the points.