(3rd LD) S. Korea drawn against Argentina in 2010 World Cup finals

(3rd LD) S. Korea drawn against Argentina in 2010 World Cup finals
(ATTN: CHANGES date June 18th to 17th in 2nd para)
CAPE TOWN, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was grouped with Argentina, Nigeria and
Greece in Group B at the draw for the first round of next year's World Cup finals
in South Africa held here on Friday.

South Korea, ranked 52nd in the world, opens its World Cup bid with a match
against Greece on June 12 in Port Elizabeth before playing against Lionel Messi's
Argentina in Johannesburg on June 17. The 2002 World Cup semifinalist is also
scheduled to take on Nigeria in Durban on June 23.
Led by coach Huh Jung-moo, the South Koreans secured a seventh successive World
Cup finals berth after topping the regional preliminary round with an unbeaten
record. South Korea, then led by Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, reached the semifinals
in the 2002 showpiece co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
"All groups seem difficult and I've been ready to face a tough group. I will
prepare well to achieve a goal to advance to the last 16 on foreign soil," Huh
said after the draw held in front of some of the world's footballing greats at
the Cape Town Convention Center.
"I think we need one win, two draws, or two wins (and) one loss to be alive in
the first round. I can't expect how we will play against each team but we've got
to prepare and study these teams."
North Korea, qualifying for its first World Cup finals appearance since 1966, was
drawn into Group G, one of the toughest groups in the event. North Koreans will
face four-time World Cup champion Brazil, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast and
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
Japan was drawn against the Netherlands, Cameroon and Denmark in first-round
Group E.
South Korean footballers are hoping to repeat their 2002 feat on African soil
next year.
It will be their second encounter with Argentina on the World Cup group stage.
In 1986, South Korea was drawn into the same group with the South American
football powerhouse in the Mexico tournament but was beaten 3-1. Maradona,
currently the coach of the national squad, led his country to the World Cup
trophy for the second time in that competition.
Nigeria, ranked 21st, finished Africa's regional preliminaries with three wins
and three draws, while 12th-ranked Greece beat Ukraine in a playoff to earn its
berth.
"Our players are doing their best to reach the second round in away games. I
believe that we have a chance," said Huh.
The first World Cup in Africa will kick off on June 11 for a month-long tournament.
The following is the list of groups for the first round of the 2010 World Cup
finals in South Africa.

-Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
-Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece
-Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
-Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia
-Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark
-Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
-Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
-Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)

Dele