In what has almost become a rite of the competition, continental powerhouses Iran and South Korea meet in Kuala Lumpur tonight for a place in the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup.
The clash at Bukit Jalil National Stadium marks the fourth consecutive time that the two Asian giants have met in the last eight of the tournament, with the Iranians winning two of the previous three encounters.
They stunned the Korean 6-2 in the United Arab Emirates in 1996 and, after losing 2-1 in Lebanon four years later, claimed an exciting 4-3 win in China in 2004.
The two teams also met during the Asian Cup qualifiers last year, drawing 1-1 in Seoul before the Iranians claimed a 2-0 win in Tehran.
But for all of the recent history between the two sides, South Korea coach Pim Verbeek insists that his side are thinking only of the upcoming match.
"What happened in the past is not interesting to me because we have a completely new selection of players now," said the Dutchman.
"We're not so worried about the statistics of our last game - that's for the media.
"For us, it's important to prepare ourselves for the strong points and the weak points of the Iranian team. That's what we doing at the moment and, of course, we will do everything to win tomorrow."
While Verbeek admits that the Iranians are favourites for the clash, he still backs his young side remain on course for their first Asian Cup title since 1960.
"I think if you look at the quality of the players, their experience and the way that they have played so far, than I can only say that Iran probably have better players than us.
"But although we may not have better players, we have a very strong team and I think we will win the game tomorrow."
One card that the Koreans have up their sleeves is the presence on their staff of Afshin Ghotibi, an Iranian-American assistant coach with an in-depth knowledge of Iranian football.
"We are always very well prepared to play against whatever opponent we are playing against," Verbeek explained.
"It's a fact that Afshin knows everything about Iranian football and in big games like this, it's good to know everything about the opponent, about their system and the strengths and weaknesses of individual players.
"So I think it's definitely an advantage to have him with us."
Meanwhile, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has stressed the importance of concentration for his side on Sunday.
"This is a knockout match and it is very important for our team to concentrate tomorrow and not make as many mistakes as our last few games," said the 43-year-old.
"We know the Korean team very well because we have already played them in the preliminary matches. They are a very strong team and we have to work hard to correct the weak points that we have had in our earlier games.
"The Koreans also have their strengths and their weaknesses but we have to work on our own game."
They stunned the Korean 6-2 in the United Arab Emirates in 1996 and, after losing 2-1 in Lebanon four years later, claimed an exciting 4-3 win in China in 2004.
The two teams also met during the Asian Cup qualifiers last year, drawing 1-1 in Seoul before the Iranians claimed a 2-0 win in Tehran.
But for all of the recent history between the two sides, South Korea coach Pim Verbeek insists that his side are thinking only of the upcoming match.
"What happened in the past is not interesting to me because we have a completely new selection of players now," said the Dutchman.
"We're not so worried about the statistics of our last game - that's for the media.
"For us, it's important to prepare ourselves for the strong points and the weak points of the Iranian team. That's what we doing at the moment and, of course, we will do everything to win tomorrow."
While Verbeek admits that the Iranians are favourites for the clash, he still backs his young side remain on course for their first Asian Cup title since 1960.
"I think if you look at the quality of the players, their experience and the way that they have played so far, than I can only say that Iran probably have better players than us.
"But although we may not have better players, we have a very strong team and I think we will win the game tomorrow."
One card that the Koreans have up their sleeves is the presence on their staff of Afshin Ghotibi, an Iranian-American assistant coach with an in-depth knowledge of Iranian football.
"We are always very well prepared to play against whatever opponent we are playing against," Verbeek explained.
"It's a fact that Afshin knows everything about Iranian football and in big games like this, it's good to know everything about the opponent, about their system and the strengths and weaknesses of individual players.
"So I think it's definitely an advantage to have him with us."
Meanwhile, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has stressed the importance of concentration for his side on Sunday.
"This is a knockout match and it is very important for our team to concentrate tomorrow and not make as many mistakes as our last few games," said the 43-year-old.
"We know the Korean team very well because we have already played them in the preliminary matches. They are a very strong team and we have to work hard to correct the weak points that we have had in our earlier games.
"The Koreans also have their strengths and their weaknesses but we have to work on our own game."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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