Coach Hong Myung-bo said a drone was spotted flying over South Korea’s training session on Wednesday ahead of their eagerly awaited clash with World Cup co-hosts Mexico, calling the incident “unfortunate”.
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Victory in South Korea’s match against Mexico in Guadalajara on Thursday would virtually guarantee progress to the knockout rounds, and put the winners in pole position to top Group A, which also contains South Africa and Czechia.
But the Koreans’ preparations on Tuesday were interrupted by the incident, which prompted fears of spying, with reports stating that the drone was brought down by Mexico’s military.
“Yesterday during our training there was a drone in the sky, and we came to know about the fact. But fortunately it was right before we practiced our tactics, so it did not impact us significantly,” said the coach.
“But, while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing. So, what happened was unfortunate.”
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According to reports, two men fled the scene after the drone was shot down by the national guard. CCTV caught images of the suspects in question, who remain at large.
Mexican federal authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while officials in the state of Jalisco told AFP they had no formal record of the incident.
Drone flights have been banned over stadiums and facilities hosting World Cup matches and events in Mexico, as well as the United States.
It comes after Southampton were booted out of the Championship play-offs following their own spying scandal.
Korean coach Hong said he expected a challenging clash against Mexico, praising the opponents’ “creative” midfield and telling reporters he expected a vocal home crowd to play a role.
“We fully understand that it’s going to be a match with the home team, and we know that that’s going to give benefits to the home team,” he said.
“But my players have experienced such matches before, so it will be different tomorrow, and we need to control the rhythm and the flow of the match.”
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opening game last week, while South Korea came from behind to defeat Czechia 2-1.
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World Cup striker arrested on suspicion of alleged fixing offences
Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi is subject to an active investigation following the alleged incident that took place during Nice’s 0-0 draw with Metz last month.
The 23-year-old striker, who played in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuado, was arrested on suspicion of alleged match-fixing offences two weeks before the World Cup. He allegedly earned an intentional yellow card during the stalemate.
Wahi was fouled three times in five minutes before being shown a booking in the 35th minute of the goalless draw.
He was arrested by French police on May 29, but wasn’t charged.
“We can confirm that a 23-year-old football player, competing in France’s Ligue 1, was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor’s office into allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering,” a spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office told the Athletic.
“He was released after he was interviewed in police custody. The investigations remain ongoing.
“The football player is not a member of the French selection taking part in the World Cup.”
Ligue 1’s official governing body, the LFP, later confirmed it had been alerted to “an unusual volume of bets relating to a booking involving the player Elye Wahi”.
“At this stage, and in view of the ongoing proceedings and the associated confidentiality requirements imposed on it by the police authorities, the LFP will not make any further comment and has not initiated any disciplinary proceedings. It reserves the right, however, to do so depending on how the investigations progress,” the LFP said in a statement.
“The LFP reiterates that it remains fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of its competitions and that it will take the strongest possible action against any behaviour likely to compromise it.”