NELSPRUIT - DPRK have picked themselves up from a 7-0 mauling by Portugal and will meet the power of Ivory Coast head on in their final game of the 2010 World Cup finals, coach Kim Jong-hun said on Thursday.
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 DPRK national soccer players Kim Yong-jun (C) and Mun In-guk (R) attend a training session at Kabokweni Stadium near Nelspruit, South Africa June 24, 2010. [Photo/Agencies] |
While the Koreans have failed to qualify for the second round, Kim warned the West Africans that his side would be battling for every inch in Nelspruit on Friday. Honour was at stake, he said.
"The result of the game tomorrow will determine whether they will go on to the last 16 so Ivory Coast will probably be extremely aggressive," the coach told a news conference.
"Ivory Coast are a bigger side than us and they are probably going to be physical but we will resist strongly and it won't affect us that much."
DPRK won many admirers with their plucky, organised display in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the group opener but their first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1966 was marred by the embarrassing defeat to Portugal.
While that result had shaken his side's confidence, Kim said his players were over it and he would not make wholesale changes for Friday's game.
"There will be no major changes," he added. "We conceded a lot of goals in the Portugal game but we will put up a fight against Ivory Coast.
"It's a chance for us to avenge ourselves and restore our honour."
