South Korea gets the first win of WC2010 beating Greece 2-0

Energetic South Korea upset 2004 European champions Greece 2-0 in their 2010 FIFA World Cup Group B match here on Saturday, becoming the first victors of the tournament and winning glory for Asia.

"Our players worked really hard," said South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo. "The team played well and the flow of the game was very good."

Only seven minutes into the game, Lee Jung Soo opened the scoring for South Korea when the central defender flicked on and tapped in at the back post after a free-kick from Ki Sung-yong found him.

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In the 52nd minute, a poor cross from Greece at the back gifted Manchester United star winger Park Ji Sung a thrusting solo run. Park dribbled past two defenders straight into the box and sealed the win with a powerful shot.

Park, 29, who started his career as a defensive midfielder, has won three English Premier League champions and a UEFA Champions League title.

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Greece coach pledges not too underestimate South Koreans

Greece manager Otto Rehhagel is eagerly anticipating his World Cup debut but is taking nothing for granted against South Korea.

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Rehhagel, 71, famously led the Greeks to glory at the European Championship in 2004, however his team failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

Four years on, though, the German coach is preparing his charges for Saturday's Group B clash versus South Korea in Port Elizabeth.

"Some things take their time. I am pleased to take on such a huge challenge. Everything comes in due course," said Rehhagel.

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Nigeria names 30 man provisional World Cup squad

Nigeria's new coach Lars Lagerback has named a 30 man provisional squad for the World Cup in June.

The Super Eagles squad was named by coach Lars Lagerback in the capital, Abuja, on Monday.

Fit-again Everton striker Victor Anichebe has been recalled along with John Utaka, the Portsmouth forward who was left out of the Nations Cup.

Lukman Haruna, the under-17 World Cup-winning captain in 2007, has also made the cut.

This is Lagerback's first Nigerian squad since taking over from Shaibu Amodu who was sacked after leading to third place at the Nations Cup in Angola in January.

Nigeria play Argentina, Greece and South Korea in Group B of the World Cup.

Two locally-based players - goalkeeper Akpan Bassey and defender Terna Suswan - are named in the squad, which will delight fans who had called for the inclusion of some players from the 2010 West African (Wafu) Cup team.

Assistant coach Austin Eguavoen defended Lagerback's first selection.

"We have travelled and have monitored our players for the last two months and we must admit it was not easy, but we have chosen players who give us options everywhere," Eguavoen told BBC Sport.

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"There have been injury concerns as well as other issues but from defence to attack we have chosen carefully.

"This is a team the people of Nigeria can be proud of."

Nigeria squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda, Israel), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva, Israel), Bassey Akpan (Bayelsa United, Nigeria)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (Marseille, France), Elderson Echiejile (Rennes, France), Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Onyekachi Apam (OG Nice, France), Joseph Yobo (Everton, England), Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers, England), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands), Rabiu Afolabi (SV Salzburg, Austria), Terna Suswan (Lobi Stars, Nigeria)

Midfielders: Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany), John Utaka (Portsmouth, England), Brown Ideye (FC Sochaux, France), Peter Utaka (Odense Boldklub, Denmark), , Kalu Uche (Almeria, Spain), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham, England), John Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England), Sani Kaita (Alaniya, Russia), Haruna Lukman (AS Monaco, France), Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia)

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South Korea names 30-man provsional World Cup Squad

South Korea's coach Huh Jung-Moo has announce a 30 man provisional squad for the 2010 World Cup and the side contains quite a few surprises.

Coach Huh Jung-Moo, whose side were drawn in Group B alongside Argentina, Greece and Nigeria, included no uncapped players. Park Ji-Sung of Manchester United and Monaco's Park Chu-Young head a 13-strong foreign contingent, while 2002 FIFA World Cup hero Ahn Jung-hwan is also included as he bids for a third consecutive appearance on the global stage.

Huh will reduce the size of the squad to 23 after the Taeguk Warriors take on Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup warm-up match in Seoul on 16 May. "The Ecuador game is the last opportunity for the domestic players," said Huh. "We will also be checking the condition of the foreign-based stars."

There is no place for former Fulham and Reading star Seol Ki-Hyeon, who is still recovering from a knee operation. "Seol hasn't been included because he hasn't played as he is still recovering and hasn't trained. Of course, it is regrettable for the players who haven't made the squad but those 30 players have the opportunity to play a big part for the national team."

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South Korea 30-man preliminary FIFA World Cup squad:Kim Young-Kwang (Ulsan), Lee Woon-Jae (Suwon), Jung Sung-Ryong (Seongnam); Kang Min-Soo (Suwon), Kwak Tae-Hwi (Kyoto), Kim Dong-Jin (Ulsan), Kim Hyung-Il (Pohang), Oh Beom-Seok (Ulsan), Lee Young-Pyo (Al Hilal), Lee Jung-Soo (Kashima Antlers), Hwang Jae-Won (Pohang), Cho Won-Hee (Wigan), Cha Du-Ri (SC Freiburg), Cho Yong-Hyung (Jeju); Koo Ja-Cheol (Jeju), Ki Sung-Yong (Celtic), Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita), Kim Nam-Il (Tom Tomsk), Shin Hung-Min (Pohang), Kim Jae-Sung (Pohang), Kim Jung-Woo (Gwangju), Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton) Kim Chi-Woo (Seoul), Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United); Park Ju-Young (AS Monaco), Ahn Jung-Hwan (Dalian Shide), Lee Seung-Ryul (Seoul), Yeom Ki-Hun (Suwon), Lee Keun-Ho (Jubilo Iwata), Lee Dong-Guk (Jeonbuk).

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Korea lines up four frendlies ahead of World Cup

South Korea have lined up four high-profile friendlies to prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Huh Jung-moo’s charges will assemble on May 9 and face Ecuador on May 16 in Seoul before taking on fellow qualifiers Japan five days later in Saitama, Japan.

The team then travels to Austria for a training camp before locking horns with Belarus on May 30.

Belarus finished fourth behind England, Ukraine and Croatia in the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers and this will be the first time they will face Korea .

European champions Spain, who are top-ranked in the latest FIFA world rankings, will be the Koreans’ final opponents on June 3 before they head to South Africa.

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Belarus finished fourth behind England, Ukraine and Croatia in the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers and this will be the first time they will face Korea .

European champions Spain, who are top-ranked in the latest FIFA world rankings, will be the Koreans’ final opponents on June 3 before they head to South Africa.

World Cup Draw Reaction : Greece

It might be mind games it might be a tactical decision but Greek coach Otto Rehhagel seems to have conceded top spot in his World Cup Group B to Argentina.

Speaking after the draw that saw his Greek team grouped with Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea, Rehhagel said "Argentina will be the clear favourites in our group, they are number one. They are a very good and dangerous side, I think all the teams in the group will struggle against them," said Rehhagel.

"I think it is only fair to say that the three other teams will be aiming for second. So it is up to all of us to fight for the second spot and I think we all have an equal chance of getting to the second round. We have to start well and work hard to stay in South Africa for the knockout stages - that will be our main aim. Once you are in the knockout stages, then anything is possible.

"I don't want to make any predictions, I'm not good at that. From here, we need to study our opponents and plan ahead."

Rehhgal famously won the European Championship with Greece in 2004 but the national teams from since then has been poor and 2010 offers Greece a chance to recapture the lost glory from 10 years ago

World Cup Draw Reaction : South Korea

South Korea despite being drawn in a tough group are taking consolation from the fact that all their opponents struggled to qualify for the World Cup.

Nigeria qualified on the last day of the African qualifiers, Argentina also qualified on the last day of the South American qualifiers after a lacklustre campaign while Greece had to go into a playoff against Ukraine before confirming their place in the World Cup.

Speaking after the draw South Korean Manager Huh Jung-moo said "In a World Cup, there are no easy matches, so I have no reason to complain about our group. We are up against very strong teams. Every game we will play is difficult but we also had tough assignments in the Asian qualifying round,'' said Huh, who faced current Argentine Manager Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup - a 3-1 victory for Argentina -- when both were players.

"Obviously a team like Argentina will start as favorites. They have very good players who are well-known but that is not a problem for us. We are used to starting from the back. We played against them at the 1986 World Cup and we lost but with the experience gained and lessons learned, we hope we can do better."

World Cup Draw Reaction : Argentina

Argentina express caution as they draw Nigeria, Greece and South Korea in their World Cup 2010 group.

"It's not an easy group," Argentina general manager Carlos Bilardo said. "On the contrary, I think it's very difficult. In 1990, everybody thought that Cameroon was easy and we ended up losing the first match. Korea are strong, but we know them very well. Nigeria are difficult, too, and Greece have shown in recent years that they can compete against big teams. If it wasn't Greece, it could have been Portugal or France, so we can't complain."


Argentina World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986, had hoped that the appointment of Diego Maradona as coach would inspire the team to another triumph. But the team failed to find any form in qualifying and advanced as the fourth-place finisher in South America. Now it has a tough group against Nigeria, South Korea and 2004 European champion Greece.