After a closely contested start, the match turned in Korea Republic’s favour when Iraq were reduced to 10 men in the first half with Hong’s charges capitaling on their numerical advantage.

“I expected this to be a difficult match and we were able to take control after one of their players was sent off,” said Hong. “Ultimately, we capitalised on the man advantage to score goals. I'd like to congratulate my players. I am pleased with the outcome."

With qualification secured, Hong said his attention will now be on long-term planning.

“Since we have qualified for the World Cup after today's match, everything we do from now on will be done with a focus on the World Cup. There are a lot of things to do, and we will handle one thing at a time to prepare for the tournament.”

Iraq head coach Graham Arnold, in his first match in charge, remained optimistic about Iraq’s chances of taking one of the two spots from the playoffs.

"I am disappointed with this result but the red card changed the course of the match. We were playing well until the expulsion. I'm not looking for any excuses, but this is the reality,” said Arnold. 

"I'm proud of the players. They gave their best against a strong team like Korea Republic, which is very difficult to play against with 10 men for more than 60 minutes."

Despite the heartbreak of missing out on automatic qualification, Arnold reaffirmed his belief in Iraq’s ability to qualify through the playoffs.

“I have full faith in qualifying through the playoffs. I've always qualified with Australia through the playoffs, but we must develop a plan to prepare well.”

Iraq face Jordan, who booked their inaugural spot in the global showpiece, on Tuesday in their final match while Korea Republic meet Kuwait.