 South Korea's Park Chu-young, left, shoots past Nigeria's Danny Shittu during their World Cup Group B match at Durban Stadium, South Africa, on June 23. / Korea Times file |
By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff reporter
It looks like the Taeguk Warriors and the Super Eagles will soon meet again following their draw at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Korea Football Association (KFA) President Cho Chung-yun confirmed the plan by announcing that the two sides are in talks to play a friendly on August 11, according to Yonhap News Agency.
"No sign of the contract yet, but the match is almost agreed on," Cho was quoted as saying.
A Nigerian newspaper reported earlier this week that the African nation is planning a friendly with South Korea, but the KFA at first denied the rumors, saying nothing was established.
Citing Dominic Iorfa, a new member of the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Association, the Vanguard newspaper reported that the match "would be a warm-up for the country's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in September.''
"We are in the reforming process, and even if the Eagles were beaten 10-0, we will not worry," Iorfa said. "The technical committee believes that between eleven and 13 members of the team who went to the 2010 World Cup would form the core of the team for the friendly against South Korea.
South Korea and Nigeria tied 2-2 last month in their last group stage match in their World Cup fixture in Durban, as Huh Jung-moo's squad reached the knockout stage on foreign soil for the first time while Lars Lagerbeck suffered first round elimination in last place in Group B.
If finalized, the match will be the first after an anguished Nigerian president lifted the ban on its national football team.
Last month, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan announced a suspension of the national team from all international tournaments for two years due to the Super Eagles' poor showing at the World Cup. However, he withdrew the extreme declaration after its football governing body pledged to rebuild the Super Eagles.
A number of fresh new faces are expected to appear, with Nigeria overhauling their squad, and Korea unable to call on players based overseas. The KFA is currently in search of a new coach for the national team, to replace Huh Jung-moo.
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