IT took nearly TEN minutes of excruciating wait after full-time for South Korea to celebrate qualification to the World Cup knockouts.
Hwang Hee-chan’s dramatic injury-time winner saw the Koreans through ahead of Uruguay on goals SCORED.
But they had to wait for the South Americans to complete added time in their game with Ghana before they could let themselves party.
They waited with bated breath in the centre circle as coaches streamed the other Group H game.
Rivals Uruguay won 2-0 in the simultaneous match but Son and his pals squeaked into the knockout stage on goals scored on another Qatar evening of last-gasp football.
And they threw drinks in the air and bounced up and down, ecstatic with the result.
The Koreans finished second behind group winners Portugal who were already assured of qualification before the match.
Fans loved it on social media as the drama unfolded and Korea headed to the last 16.
One joked: “That one guy with the good cell service”.
Another added: “Absolutely incredible. South Korea with a 91st minute winner to go through and send Uruguay home. What a World Cup.”
It looked as if their dream would die as Portugal refused to buckle just as the PA announcer informed the 44,000 people in the crowd that there would be six minutes of overtime in their clash.
From a Portugal attack in the Korean box, Son picked up the ball and galloped two thirds the length of the pitch in a run similar to his wonder goal against Burnley in 2019.
But instead of going all the way this time, he stopped, held up the ball with three players around him then poked a brilliant through ball into the path of Hwang who drilled his shot home to spark delirious scenes on and off the turf.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s revenge mission on Luis Suarez did not go to plan – but at least the Uruguayan did not have the last laugh on them.
The Black Stars had waited 12 years to get their own back after the man known as “the devil himself” denied them a place in the 2010 World Cup semi-finals.
