Newly appointed South Korean head coach Guus Hiddink flew into the SAR yesterday ahead of next week's Carlsberg Cup and said: 'I can't wait to see my team play.'
The former Holland and Real Madrid boss told reporters at Chek Lap Kok Airport on his arrival that he was anxious to see his team play against Norway in South Korea's opening game in the Lunar New Year extravaganza on Wednesday.
Paraguay take on the Hong Kong League XI in the other match of the four-team tournament.
'It's very important to be here . . . we have to wait. I'm very curious to see how we do. It's good to play this game [tournament],' said the 54-year-old Dutch coach who is seen as the man who can salvage South Korea's football pride.
'I'm definitely looking forward to the game. We have already had three to four sessions together and we have to get the team prepared as soon as possible for the World Cup in 2002,' he said.
Hiddink, who became the first foreigner to be appointed head coach of the South Koreans, will take charge of his first match in the Carlsberg Cup, but he admitted his main priority was to 'get South Korea into the second round of the World Cup'.
'That's my main aim. We must be physically and mentally strong. We have to be realistic, too,' he said.