PORT ELIZABETH // Having achieved their aim of making the last 16 of the World Cup, South Korea are reassessing their ambitions for the remainder of the tournament.
"Semi-finals" is the team's new goal, according to their coach.
"I think my players will not settle with just reaching the last 16," Jung-moo Huh said. "My players would like to reach the semi-finals. I believe the group phase was the most difficult and from now on, it's a 50-50 chance of going through.
"We can't predict what will happen but I know that my players will want higher targets."
South Korea can take a step toward their new goal when they play Uruguay today. A place in the second round of the World Cup had long been a national obsession. South Korea reached that stage as co-hosts in 2002, but it has never happened in six previous attempts overseas.
The lucky seventh came thanks to a draw with Nigeria on Tuesday, which secured second place in Group B.
Ji-sung Park, the Manchester United midfielder, said the team had already achieved its tournament ambitions.
"I'm not sure what our new goal is but we'll just try to win the next match," Park said. "It really is fantastic to write a new chapter in the history of Korean football."
For months, any overseas player returning home was greeted at the airport with demands for a prediction of South Korea's chances of reaching the last 16.
Young-pyo Lee put the probability at 40 per cent, while others, such as Woon-jae Lee, thought their chances more likely. But all stressed the importance of surviving the group stage.
After defeating Greece 2-0 in the opening match and losing 4-1 to Argentina in the following game, a draw against Nigeria was always likely to be enough to finish behind Argentina, but it was a nervous finish.
"When the final whistle went my legs started shaking," said Nam-il Kim, the midfielder. "I felt happier about this than in 2002 when we reached the semi-final."
Despite the 3.30am start time in Korea, the scenes in Seoul were also similar to eight years ago. An estimated 500,000 fans took to the streets to watch the match on giant television screens.
Myung-bak Lee, the country's president, also tuned in and sent a message of congratulations to the team.
South Korea will not be underestimating Uruguay, the winner of Group A and their next opponents, Park said.
"We watched a few of Uruguay's games. They have quality and they are strong," Park said. "We have to prepare well."
Huh said he was impressed by Uruguay's ability to attack. "The key will be who controls the flow of the game on match day," Huh said. "Uruguay are very strong in counter-attacks and we must take care of it."
Huh hopes his side can prove against Uruguay that they can deliver. "I think that Asian football is doing quite well at this World Cup," he said. "We are getting a little bit closer to the international level but we still have a lot of work to do."
* AP
Watch Uruguay v South Korea (6pm) and United States v Ghana (10.30pm) both on Aljazeera World Cup and Aljazeera Sport +9
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
