The Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face South Korea in the Quarter-finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup, marking their third encounter at this stage of the competition.

The first meeting was in 2005 when South Korea emerged victorious with a 2-1 win. The second meeting was in 2013 when Nigeria won 1-0.

Sunday’s game at the Santiago del Estero Stadium will be epic and could help to assert dominance for the winner. Here are three talking points ahead of the clash:

Unbeaten and Dangerous

South Korea have made a name for themselves as a very frustrating team to play against.

In the four games the Asian team has played, they are unbeaten, winning two and drawing the other two.

They have a habit of winning the important ones, like the opening 2-1 victory against France and the round of 16 3-2 triumph against Ecuador.

Interestingly, Gambia is the only side to stop them from scoring after holding them to a goalless draw.

Nigeria will have to be wary, as South Korea has scored two or more goals in other games.

Be patient, Calm but Effective

The South Koreans might be unbeaten, but that doesn’t mean they are not beatable. Nigeria will have to be patient and go about their business calmly.

They should play as a unit as they did against Argentina. When the opportunity comes, they must be ruthless and take their chances.

Nigeria will also need to keep things tight at the back and be sure to avoid errors that may lead to South Korea having the ball in dangerous positions as they can be effective.

Extra-time and Penalties

Just like Coach Ladan Bosso has pointed out about this Flying Eagles team – they rely on strength and pace although it has worked like magic in some cases, it can be a disadvantage towards the dying stages of a game.

Bosso must prepare his team for the eventualities of extra-time and penalties and must be strategic about his substitutions in other not to put the team at a disadvantage.

The boys must also ensure there is more in the tank just in case the game requires extra thirty minutes and this is where in-game management is of importance.