'Players in all positions are physically outstanding'- South Korea U20 coach praises Flying Eagles 

Asian side South Korea caused an upset by beating Ecuador 3-2  on Thursday to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the Flying Eagles at the ongoing Fifa U20 World Cup in Argentina.

The Red Devils were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes thanks to strikes from Lee and, Bae but the South Americans halved the deficit at minute 36, before Choi restored the two-goal advantage two minutes into the second half. 

Ecuador did not have enough time for an equalizer after Sebastian Gonzalez blasted the ball into the net from close range in the 84th minute. 

South Korea have now qualified for two consecutive Fifa U20 World Cup quarterfinals, they were beaten in the final four years ago by Ukraine. 

Heading into the fixture against Nigeria, the Koreans are at a disadvantage in terms of recovery as they played their quarterfinal clash after the Flying Eagles' win versus Argentina, meaning Ladan Bosso's team have an extra day to recover. 

Speaking post-match, South Korea U20 manager Kim Eun-jung praised the Nigerian players for their physicality ahead of Sunday's game, and stressed that they must be well prepared to stand a chance of beating the Flying Eagles. 

In quotes relayed by Chosun, Eun-jung stated: "When I watched the game against Argentina yesterday, the Nigerian team seemed to be very well prepared.  Players in all positions are physically outstanding and have flexibility. We will do the analysis properly."

He added: "We will prepare hard for the match against Nigeria, so please support us from afar. As an Asian team, Korea is the only team that maintains its pride, so I will prepare well for the next game and produce good results with a sense of responsibility and pride as an Asian representative."

Nigeria will do battle with South Korea at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero on Sunday evening, with the winner facing either Italy or Colombia for a place in the final.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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