Asian football leaders resign after poor World Cup showing
The fallout from a disappointing World Cup performance continues in Asian football, with top officials stepping down in South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, Chung Mong-gyu resigned as president of the Korea Football Association. His departure follows harsh criticism from the country's president and the resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo last week after South Korea's group-stage exit, which ended with a 1-0 loss to South Africa.
“There were moments when I lived up to expectations and moments when I left you deeply disappointed,” said Chung, who had held the role since 2013. “All the success is thanks to our players and fans, and all the mistakes are my responsibility. I am convinced that Korean football will overcome adversity and reach great heights once again, as it always has.”
South Korean star Son Heung-min apologised for the team's performance in a long social media post, saying he was “indescribably hurt” and eager to “win the hearts” of the nation once again.
The day after Hong stepped down, Yasser Al-Misehal quit as president of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation. The team failed to advance beyond the group stage for the seventh time.
“The national team's failure to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions,” Al-Misehal wrote on social media. “I bear full responsibility for it, apologising to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position.”
Teams from the Asian Football Confederation managed just three wins in 29 matches at the expanded 48-team World Cup. Of the nine representatives, only Australia and Japan advanced from the group stage. Iran was unbeaten with three draws, but that was not enough to progress.
Australia and Japan were eliminated in the round of 32. Australia lost to Egypt in a penalty shootout. Coach Tony Popovic's job was already secure after he signed a contract extension on the eve of the team's opening win over Turkey.
Japan was the best performer, with a 4-0 win over Tunisia and draws with the Netherlands and Sweden to finish second in its group. After leading Brazil 1-0 at halftime, the Samurai Blue lost to a 96th-minute goal from the five-time champions.
“Through the three group-stage matches and the hard-fought game against Brazil, I sensed that what we have built can compete on the world stage,” coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “If we continue this growth steadily, a day will come when we can be the best in the world.”
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, acknowledged the gap with top teams. “While we celebrate our two qualified teams, we must also look realistically at the overall outcomes,” he said. “Our teams are making strides and displaying great fighting spirit; the gap at the absolute top tier remains tight, and we must continue to work hard to bridge it.”
South Korea's run to the semifinals in 2002 remains the continent's benchmark at the men's World Cup. Japan has lost four times in the knockout stages, and Australia is 0-3 in World Cup knockout games.
Jordan lost all three games on its World Cup debut and parted ways with coach Jamal Sellami on Sunday. Qatar and Iraq finished at the bottom of their groups, and speculation surrounds the future of their coaches. Uzbekistan also failed to collect a point in its first appearance, but coach Fabio Cannavaro is set to stay.
