Australia joins Asian challenge in South Africa
by sabitha[ Edit ] 2010-04-07 10:18:58
SEOUL: The Asian challenge at the World Cup in South Africa will come from a two-continent front.
Australia is participating in the World Cup as a representative of the Asian Football Confederation for the first time and is the most likely of the qualified quartet to achieve what would be considered regional success at the World Cup: The second round.
The Far East has three contenders, with the Korean peninsula qualifying two teams — South Korea for the eighth time and North Korea for its first appearance since a quarterfinal run in 1966 — and Japan making it to the finals for the fourth straight time.
Playoff win
Australia joined the Asian confederation from Oceania in 2006 and went to the World Cup in Germany following an intercontinental playoff win over Uruguay.
Guus Hiddink took Australia to the second round before a contentious late penalty against eventual champion Italy ended the run. Now Hiddink's former assistant, Pim Verbeek, aims to do the same and progress from a group also containing Germany, Ghana and Serbia.
