In the fierce match between Korea and Palestine in the first round of the 18-team tournament, although the hosts failed to score and drew 0-0, the performance of newly promoted national player Hwang Man-ki drew a lot of attention. After the match, Hwang was interviewed by the media and shared his feelings and insights on his first appearance for the national team.
Debut Reflections: Growth Through Regret
Huang Wenji first expressed his mixed feelings about the first match: "I feel honored to make my national team debut on such an important stage. However, the team failed to win, which filled my heart with regret. I realized that I had many shortcomings in the game, and if I could have performed better, the result would have been different. The coach emphasized the ball-control attacking strategy, which I tried to implement, but obviously there is still room for improvement."
Mindset change: from K-League All-Star to National Team
Talking about the difference between representing the K-League All-Stars and the national team, Hwang Man Ki confessed, "In the All-Star Game, I enjoyed the process of the game more and my mind was relatively relaxed. Whereas in the national team, every game is crucial and the tension naturally increases. Fortunately, my teammates gave me great support, especially the encouragement from Sun's seniors, which made me more confident and eased my tension. This team strength allowed me to adapt to the rhythm of the national team more quickly."
Appreciation for teammates: Excellence of Lee Kong Yan and encouragement of Liang Min Ge
Speaking of his predecessor, Lee Gang Ren, Huang Wen Ji is full of admiration: "Playing with Lee Gang Ren, I deeply realize why he can get a foothold in the top team in France. His skills, awareness and attitude are a cut above the rest. I realized that I need to work harder in the backline to provide better support for him, and I feel a bit sorry for not being able to do that this time."
At the same time, Huang Wenji did not forget to mention his teammate Liang Minge, who was selected for the national team together: "Although Liang Minge did not get a chance to play in this game, he has been cheering for me on the sidelines. His support made me feel very warm. We believe that there are more opportunities waiting for us in the future, and when the opportunity comes again, we will surely meet the challenge in a better condition and contribute to the team."
Through this game, Hwang Man Ki not only gained valuable experience in the national team, but also saw the direction of his own growth in reflection. I believe that in the future matches, he will contribute more to the Korean team with more maturity and steadiness.
