Klinsmann not taking Singapore, China lightly in World Cup qualifiers

Jurgen Klinsmann, manager of the Korean men's national football team, speaks during an online press conference in Seoul, Nov. 13, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. Yonhap

Korea head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Monday he will not take his next two opponents in World Cup qualifying matches lightly, despite his team's superior ranking position and head-to-head records so far.

Korea will open Group C play in the second round of the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday against Singapore. The kickoff is at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Then Klinsmann's team will travel to Shenzhen, China, to play China on Nov. 21 at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre. That match begins at 8 p.m. in Shenzhen, or 9 p.m. in Korea.

Korea check in at No. 24 in the latest FIFA rankings, the highest in Group C, with China (No. 79), Thailand (No. 112) and Singapore (No. 155) well behind.

In 26 all-time meetings, Korea have registered 21 wins, three draws and two losses against Singapore. And Korea have had 22 wins, 12 draws and two losses against China.

These numbers, however, don't give Klinsmann any cause for optimism.

"You have to take them very seriously. Every team in the world can play," Klinsmann said in a YouTube press conference Monday, hours before opening his training camp in Seoul. "Your mind has to be in the right place. We have to be very sharp from the first moment."

Jurgen Klinsmann, manager of the Korean men's national football team, speaks during an online press conference in Seoul, Nov. 13, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. Yonhap

Klinsmann said reading articles about the teams' ranking positions and Korea's favorite status in the group may give his players "false feelings."

"Don't follow those feelings," the coach said. "I think the mindset has to be very aggressive from the first moment."

Singapore are expected to park the bus in their own zone and play a tight defensive game against Korea, while looking for counterattack opportunities. Korea have often struggled to score against those foes, though beating Vietnam 6-0 in a friendly match last month in the face of a crowded defense was encouraging.

Klinsmann revealed that he had been "angry" with his team in the early moments of the Vietnam match because Korea could have scored even more than the two that they had in the first half.

"When you expect a team to be more defensive, you try to make a rhythm from the beginning on high," Klinsmann said. "Don't wait late into a game to think you can now go into a higher speed and hopefully score the goals. You have to be, from the beginning, very quick and focused, and try to score the first goal."

For the World Cup qualifiers, 36 nations have been divided into nine groups of four in the second round. The top two teams from each of those groups will move on to the third round, where they will be paired into three groups of six.

Son Heung-min of Korea, left, celebrates his goal against Vietnam during a men's football friendly match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 17. Yonhap

From there, the top two teams from each group will punch their tickets to the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The third- and fourth-place teams from the three groups will still have another shot at qualifying in the fourth round.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 nations, up from the current 32.

The expansion seems to mean an easier path to the tournament than in the past, though Klinsmann said: "I don't agree with that at all. It will be the wrong way to look at it.

"All the teams that fight for a spot in the World Cup will fight even harder now," he added. "It will be still very difficult. You have to have a very professional mindset. We will be very serious in every World Cup qualifying game.

Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986.

The two November matches will also help Korea gear up for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which kicks off in January in Qatar. Korea, despite their long-held standing as one of Asia's top football powers, haven't won the Asian Cup since 1960.

Lee Kang-in of Korea, center, dribbles the ball against Vietnam during a men's football friendly match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 17. Yonhap

Since being named Korea's coach in late February, Klinsmann has repeatedly said his biggest short-term goal is to win the Asian Cup. On Monday, Klinsmann emphasized the importance of having a clear goal.

"The goal for the Asian Cup is clear. We want to go there and win the Asian Cup," Klinsmann said. "Not say maybe final four. Not maybe. We go there to win it. You have to put this into your mind because a tournament is mainly a mind game. You have to build belief. You have to build credibility within the team that you can win it."

Klinsmann said he's blessed to have key national team members, such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, playing for clubs with title aspirations. Accordingly, expectations from the fan base are high, and Klinsmann said, "It's right that way."

"Let's go to Qatar and challenge everyone," the coach added. "We have to aim for the highest goal. If we don't reach it, then it's the fault of the coach. It's no problem." (Yonhap)