22nd June, 2010
South Korea will face Uruguay for a quarter-final spot while Argentina — who topped the group with a 2-0 victory over Greece — will lock horns with Mexico.
Nigeria opened the scoring before South Korea hit back with a goal either side of the interval. Nigeria then equalised but their strikers wasted too many gilt-edged chances in front of goal and South Korea held on for the draw.
Read on for a detailed account of how the Taeguk Warriors held off the Super Eagles to make it into the last 16.
2058 GMT: Nigerian football fans are incandescent with rage at their team’s performance.
“Nigeria’s image as a major footballing nation has gone down with its exclusion from this World Cup. This is the worst World Cup outing Nigeria has ever had in its history,” Dapo Jekayinfa — a 26-year-old mechanic in run-down Obalende district in Lagos — says immediately after the referee blows the last whistle.
“The players should be castrated, then disbanded as a bunch of tired hapless and uncommitted individuals,” says Jenkins Chieloka, who watched the match in a viewing centre.
Edwin Olofun, a 26-year-old spare parts trader in the northern city of Kano said: “I am really disappointed in the Super Eagles. They took the lead but later conceded goals. The same thing happened in our encounter with Greece.
“This shows that they are a team without character. I find them very disappointing,” he adds.
90+3 mins: Full-time! Nigeria 2 South Korea 2
South Korea have qualified for the second round of the World Cup finals. The Nigerian players (especially Yakubu) will be kicking themselves when they see all the chances they missed in this match.
90+2 min: Shittu is booked for clattering into a Korean defender as he tries to reach a long throw into the penalty area.
90 mins: The fourth official signals there will be three minutes of added time.
89 mins: Victor Obinna blasts a long-range effort into the side-netting. The Nigerian fans thought they had taken the lead!
88 mins: Argentina double their lead against Greece.
85 mins: The game has really gone off the boil and South Korea replace Ke Sung-Yueng with Kim Jae-Sung.
79 mins: Martins wastes another great scoring opportunity for Nigeria! The ex-Newcastle frontman chips the ball over the advancing keeper but fails to control the direction of his shot.
77 mins: Argentina take the lead against Greece if South Korea hang on for the draw they will reach the last 16.
76 mins: South Korea’s Park Ji-Sung cuts inside the defender but shoots his effort into the side-netting. That was a superb chance for Korea to wrap up all three points!
72 mins: Shittu nearly turns the ball into his own net as he mistimes a clearance! The Super Eagle fans breath a huge sigh of relief.
70 mins: The Nigerian coach Lars Lagerback decides to substitute the Everton striker just a few minutes after he scored the equaliser. The crowd are baffled by the decision as Nigeria are still chasing the game!
68 mins: GOAL! Nigeria 2 South Korea 2
Yakubu steps up and gives his side a lifeline as he waits for the keeper to commit himself before hitting it in the opposite direction.
67 mins: PENALTY AWARDED TO NIGERIA The Korean substitute Kim Nam Il is shown a yellow card after he mistimes a tackle and hacks down Obasi inside the penalty area.
66 mins: Oh dear! what an unbelievable miss by Yakubu! Uche and Ayila combine down the left before the Dynamo Kiev winger hits a cross to an unmarked Yakubu four yards from goal…but the Everton striker takes his eye off the ball and scuffs his shot wide! It was an empty net and he just had to tap it in! It really has to be seen to be believed.
62 min: Excellent point-blank save from Enyeama who blocks an effort from Park Chu-young.
62 mins: South Korea make a change and Kim Nam Il replaces Yeom Ki Hun
59 mins: South Korea are let off the hook! Yakubu should have played in his unmarked colleague but wastes a glorious opportunity with a tame shot.
56 min: The crowd reserve the biggest cheer for Kanu as he substituted by Wolfsburg striker Obbafemi Martins
54 min: Park Chu-young takes aim with another free-kick but blazes it high over the bar.
48 mins: GOAL! Nigeria 1 South Korea 2
Nigeria are punished as they fail to deal with another free-kick on the edge of the penalty area.
The Nigerian keeper was completely wrong-footed by the Monaco striker Park Chu-young’s curling shot.
46 mins: Nigeria kick-off for the start of the second half, having made one change in the interval with Uwa Echiejile replacing Yobo
19 25 GMT: Apologies but we have had some technical glitches at our end. Hopefully, they have been resolved.
“With only small numbers of travelling fans for either side, the stadium is packed with locals and the vuvuzelas are deafening,” he says. WELCOME TO THE MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM in Durban where South Korea face winless Nigeria in a winner-takes-all-encounter to decide who will come second in Group B and face Uruguay in the last 16 of the World Cup finals.
– WELCOME TO THE MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM in Durban where South Korea face winless Nigeria in a winner-takes-all-encounter to decide who will come second in Group B and face Uruguay in the last 16 of the World Cup finals.
The Taeguk Warriors — who are bidding to reach the second round for only the second time in eight World Cups — kicked off the tournament with a 2-0 win over Greece before a 4-1 thrashing to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
They are currently second in Group B and can qualify for the knock-out stages with a draw provided Argentina defeat Greece.
Nigeria meanwhile lost their opening match 1-0 to Argentina before a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Greece, who lock horns with Argentina in their final group match.
The Super Eagles can still also qualify in their first ever World Cup match against an Asian team — if they can defeat South Korea and Argentina beat Greece.
Nigeria’s last win at a World Cup finals was in 1998 and they must snap this streak if they want to reach the second round.
South Korea will draw inspiration from Manchester United’s energetic  midfielder Park Ji-Sung while Nigeria feature several players in the English Premier League such as Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu and Everton stars Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Joseph Yobo.
Kick-off is fast approaching at 1830 GMT so stay with us to see who will face Group A winners Uruguay in the second round.