SOUTH KOREA fans have launched a petition to get manager Hong Myung-Bo sacked after their nightmare World Cup campaign.
The team’s tournament hopes hang in the balance after their shock 1-0 defeat to South Africa, who themselves looked destined to get knocked out.
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South Korea fans have launched a petition to sack manager Hong Myung-Bo Credit: AFP
He controversially axed captain Son Heung-min amid the team’s disaster World Cup campaign Credit: Reuters
The result left them with one win and two defeats in Group A and they are holding onto faint hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed sides.
But Hong oversaw a crisis-hit campaign and controversially axed captain Son Heung-min from the line-up for the first time ever against South Africa.
Now fans have had enough with Hong and hit out at their “lifeless” display against Bafana Bafana.
They fumed that his appointment was “fundamentally illegitimate” and said their recent performance was one of their worst ever.
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The petition read: “The Korea Football Association’s official selection process was effectively ignored, making it difficult to avoid criticism that the appointment was fundamentally illegitimate.
“Despite fielding what many considered the strongest squad in Korea’s World Cup history, the team finished with one win and two losses, placing third in the group.
“The performance against South Africa was so lifeless that it could be regarded as one of the worst displays by a Korean team in World Cup history.
“The arbitrary appointment of a head coach by a particular individual while bypassing official bodies such as the National Team Strengthening Committee must be strictly prohibited.
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The team are on the verge of elimination after in-fighting and a conflict with the media Credit: Reuters
“The only way to prevent the privatization of the football association is through the power of an institutional system.”
The petition is the latest in a series of negative headlines for the South Korea side during this World Cup.
A massive row saw Korean stars boycott the country’s media after a video making cynical comments about ex-Tottenham star Son Heung-min.
The comments were centred around Son’s military service, which must be served by Korean citizens for at least 21 months.
Son’s spell was reduced to just 21 days after helping South Korea win the 2018 Asian Cup.
Son received a public apology from the South Korean FA over the “inappropriate remarks” towards him.
There had already been scepticism over Hong’s safety-first tactics before the World Cup even started.
And there was also criticism over a £250,000 bonus promised to each player if they reached the last eight.
Critics claimed the bonus system was created to cover up underlying tensions inside the squad.
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