South Korea v Togo - Preview

'Once again 2002' - Korea's World Cup war cry

South Korea aim to show that their glory run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals was neither a fluke nor FIFA-assisted with a repeat performance in Germany starting with a win over rudderless debutants Togo.

Dutchman Dick Advocaat (L), South Korean football team head coach, is surrounded by photographers during a friendly football match between South Korea and Iran in Seoul, 12 October 2005. South Korea won the match 2-0. AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE

Conspiracy theorists and sceptics had a field day four years ago as legendary Dutch coach Guus Hiddink plotted the overthrow of European footballing nobility.

South Korea beat Portugal, Italy and Spain on the way to the semi-finals where they were dumped by a Michael Ballack goal for eventual runners-up Germany.

South Korea are back for their sixth straight World Cup with another Dutch believer in the philosophy of ‘total football' at the helm - former Holland coach Dick Advocaat - and 10 ‘Seoul survivors' from four years ago, including will o' the wisp attacker Park Ji-Sung who has added a new dimension to his game since joining Manchester United.

Five of the squad - Park, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Ahn Jung-Hwan, Song Chung-Gug and Lee Eul-Yong - have scored in the World Cup finals, a fact that will not have gone unnoticed by group opponents Togo, 1998 winners France and Switzerland.

They have been boldened by news that everything was not well in the Togo camp, with the ongoing bonus dispute leading to a walkout by respected coach Otto Pfister, and sense the Sparrowhawks are ripe for the taking in the Group G opener in Frankfurt on Tuesday.

South Korean Park Ji Sung (C) dribbles the ball as Angola's Carlos Toncalves Alonso (on the ground) tackles during their friendly football match in Seoul, 01 March 2006. South Korea won the match 1-0. AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE

It is a must-win fixture for South Korea and Advocaat is planning an attacking line-up, with Song and Spurs' Lee Young-Pyo deployed as wing backs, Park in the centre of a three man midfield and wingers Lee Chun-Soo and Seol providing the ammunition for striker Ahn, who made Italian fans cry with his golden goal winner in the second round four years ago.

An cction photo taken 29 January 2006 of Togan forward Emmanuel Adebayor (4), player at Arsenal (ENG), during the African Nations Cup (CAN) football match against Angola in Cairo. Angola won 3-2. AFP PHOTO/ISSOUF SANOGO

"I just like to win, control the game. All you can do is attack, to attack is to win," said Advocaat.

The walkout by the 68-year-old Pfister and his main assistant Piet Hamberg on Friday was the latest episode in a shambolic build up for Togo's first ever finals and many of their supporters fear a World Cup of woe.

They lost all three games and failed to score a single goal in the African Nations Cup in Egypt earlier this year and the campaign was further soured by bitter squabbling between star striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays his club football for Arsenal, and coach Stephen Keshi.

Teams

South Korea

Lee Woon-Jae (capt), Kim Young-Chul, Song Chong-Gug, Choi Jin-Cheul, Kim Jin-Kyu, Lee Young-Pyo, Park Ji-Sung, Lee Ho, Lee Eul-Yong, Lee Chun-Soo, Cho Jae-In: Coach: Dick Advocaat

Togo

Kossi Agassa, Dare Nibombe, Jean-Paul Abalo (capt), Massamasso Tchangai, Ludovic Assemoassa, Yao Junior Senaya, Moustapha Salifou, Cherif Toure Mamam, Alaixys Romao, Emmanuel Adebayor, Mohamed Kader: Coach: Otto Pfister

Referee

Graham Poll (ENG)