Tokyo Olympics 2020: Football - South Korean player Lee Dong-gyeong snubs Chris Wood after Oly Whites win

South Korean player's handshake snub. Photo / Sky Sport

The Oly Whites made history against South Korea in their Tokyo Olympics opener last night - and some of the Kiwis' opponents weren't too pleased after the game.

Chris Wood's goal gave New Zealand a 1-0 victory over the Asian football giants at the start of the men's Olympics tournament.

The Burnley striker scored in the 70th minute with his team's first shot on target at the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium where a few hundred fans were permitted because it is just outside Tokyo and not in the same state of emergency as the capital.

It was a tough loss for the South Koreans, with midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong particularly dejected after the game and even refused to shake Wood's hand.

While some fans on social media speculated if the handshake snub was because of Covid-19, others criticised the South Korean for his unsporting behaviour.

May have been covid but everyone else was shaking hands and hugging

— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) July 22, 2021

The 29-year-old Wood is one of New Zealand's three overage players permitted in a squad comprised largely of players under the age of 23.

"It's obviously a historic win. It's a big moment for the game in New Zealand," Oly Whites coach Danny Hay said of New Zealand's first ever win at the Games.

"I think we have been starting to show over recent times that we are capable of competing on the international stage at FIFA tournaments.

"But obviously getting a result like this over the number one ranked side in Asia, at a pinnacle event like the Olympic Games, is massive for us."

In the other Group B game, Romania beat Honduras 1-0.