“This makes it three consecutive draws and I take full responsibility for that, and I sincerely apologise to the fans.

“That being said, despite the short preparation time, I believe the players showed their efforts well on the pitch. After our previous match against Oman, we discussed the areas we needed to improve, and I think those aspects were reflected well in today’s game,” said Hong.

Korea Republic - seeking an 11th consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup - looked to be on the road to victory after Lee Jae-sung put them ahead in the fifth minute. A second goal, however, eluded them and Hong’s side were made to pay the price when Mahmoud Al Mardi equalised in the 30th minute. 

“Of course, it’s disappointing that we couldn’t secure the win, but I want to emphasize that the players gave their all. While there were some occasional mistakes, overall, I didn’t see any major issues in our team’s structure or organisation. That shows how well the players prepared for this match.”

Despite the recent drop in form, Korea Republic remain in control of their destiny and victory over Iraq on Matchday Nine will confirm their ticket to the global showpiece to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

Jordan, too, are in control of their destiny as they seek an appearance at the FIFA World Cup for the first time and head coach Jamal Salami urged his players to grab the opportunity. 

"This result is very positive for us at this stage of the competition, as getting a point is very important to us. We congratulate the players on their performance, as the chances are still in our hands.

“It's not easy to concede a goal early in the match and then have the ability to come back, especially against a team with the calibre of the Korean national team. We didn't create many opportunities but we succeeded in dealing with the Korean team's chances,” said Salami.

Up next are Oman on June 5, with Iraq to follow five days later and if all goes to plan, Jordan will be celebrating a debut at the FIFA World Cup.