Soccer News of Thursday, 8 October 2009

Source: GNA

Coach Tetteh wary of Korean threat

(From Veronica Commey, GNA Special Correspondent in Egypt, Courtesy Ministry of Youth and Sports)

Suez, Oct. 8, GNA - Black Satellites Coach, Sellas Tetteh is extremely wary of the Korea Republic's ability to rock Ghana's ambitions at the FIFA-U 20 World Cup quarterfinals tie at the Mubarack Stadium in Suez on Friday but says his charges are determined to advance to the next stage.

He told GNA Sports that meeting a team that gets better as the tournament progresses is always risky "because that's always a very tough prospect".

Coach Tetteh does not only respect the Korean threat but has a deep admiration for the Asians, who forced the pundits to eat back their words by thumbing Paraguay 3-0 at the 'Round of 16'.

"They play beautiful, entertaining football, which is fast and furious but we are a determined side and will play cautiously to advance." Ghana has made it to the last eight in all five of their U-20 campaigns, while Korea Republic has been at that stage on three previous occasions. Ironically the South Koreans tasted their first defeat against an African side in this tournament when Cameroon chalked a 2-0 win in their opening match and against Ghana Coach Tetteh says they have their work cut out for them.

While the South Koreans comfortably dispatched Paraguay 3-0 in Cairo, the Satellites needed extra time to make it through against South Africa with a 2-1 victory but Coach Tetteh still believes his team has enough experience to handle any opposition at this level. Ghana are unbeaten against Asian opposition at the FIFA U-20 World Cup where the Satellites have won five of their six encounters against the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Uzbekistan and drew only the first match, played in 1997 against China PR.