Krong Angkor

Sky brightens for Argentina after kind draw

CAPE TOWN (AFP) - After a qualifying campaign plagued by acrimony and embarrassment, Argentina can look to the 2010 World Cup with hope after being drawn in a group with South Korea, Nigeria and Greece on Friday.

The events of a turbulent 18 months have given Argentine fans little to cheer, but in newly crowned European Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi they boast the world's best player, while their squad is thick with guile and top-level experience.

Diego Maradona was the only national coach absent from Friday's draw in Cape Town due to the FIFA ban imposed upon him because of his abusive rant at the media in the wake of the 1-0 win over Uruguay that secured qualification.

One of the world's all-time greats as a player, Maradona led his country to the 1986 World Cup title and then the final in Italy four years later, but as a coach he has cut an erratic and controversial figure.

"I tell my players that 30 days of sacrifice for the chance to kiss the World Cup is nothing in the life of a man," he said.

"An achievement like that is like touching the sky. I played in World Cups and I reached two finals. I know what it takes."

Argentina qualified despite a humiliating 6-1 loss at altitude in Bolivia and a first ever home qualifying defeat to Brazil, but underwhelming recent form is something of a feature in Group B.

South Korea, semi-finalists on home soil in 2002, overcame a sluggish start under new coach Huh Jung-Moo but eventually qualified with two games to spare to reach their eighth finals - an Asian record.

"We were drawn in the so-called Group of Death in Asian qualifying and we made it through," said Huh.

"We believe we can do the job again in South Africa. I will go back to South Korea and start working on our strategy."

Nigeria are not the force that captivated the world at the 1998 tournament, when players like Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh illuminated their participation, but in Everton's Joseph Yobo, Chelsea's John Mikel Obi and Wolfsburg's Obafemi Martins they possess a steely spine.

Greece edged Ukraine by a single goal in their qualifying play-off after finishing behind Switzerland in a less than daunting group.

Otto Rehhagel, the man who masterminded their stunning Euro 2004 success, remains at the helm and can call upon seasoned veterans from the Euro adventure as well as 10-goal European qualifying zone top scorer Theofanis Gekas.