South Korea winger Kwon Chang-Hoon. (Photo : Getty Images)
Underdog squads Fiji and South Korea will meet each other in the second game of Men's Football Group C's opening matchday competitions in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. The match is set at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in São Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on Thursday, August 4.
Fiji is the lone team that qualified from Oceania after they topped the OFC Men's Olympic Football Tournament Qualifying tournament held during last year's Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.
The Bula Boys defeated Vanuatu in the final, 0-0 (4-3) on penalties, to earn the right to represent the region in this summer's Games.
Head coach Frank Farina's side is a huge underdog in a group that includes three powerhouse teams in defending champions Mexico, Germany, and South Korea, but they should not be taken lightly by any of these big boys as they can take down any squad in any day at the right circumstances, as per ESPN.
Fiji is led by team captain Jale Dreloa, who together with overage player Alvin Singh will command the backline. Experienced goalkeeper Simione Tamanisau will be the man between the posts while Wellington Phoenix striker Roy Krisha will partner with the team's best player, forward Iosefo Verevou, up front.
Meanwhile, South Korea should have been one of the favorites to advance in the quarterfinals, but with Mexico and Germany in the same group, it would not be an easy call for head coach Shin Tae-yong's squad.
Even with his star-studded lineup composed of Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, Trabzonspor striker Suk Hyun-jun, Bayer Leverkusen winger Ryu Seung-woo, Guangzhou R&F defender Jang Hyun-soo, and future star Kwon Chang-hoon of Suwon Samsung, the team is still not a shoo-in to advance past the group stages because of their heavyweight counterparts.
The team qualified for the Olympics through their runner-up finish in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. They were beaten by Japan, 2-3, in the final, via Cri English, but both teams still advanced to this summer's games as three from the AFC are permitted.
Korea should perform well against Fiji to gather enough momentum in their next match against Germany on Sunday.
The predicted result is a 3-1 win for South Korea.
Fiji starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Tamanisau; Dreloa, Singh, Baravilala, Naidu; Tuivuna, Chand, Nakalevu, Waranaivalu; Krishna, Verevou
South Korea starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Kim; Jeong, Jang, Lee S.C., Park; Lee C.M., Moon, Ryu, Kwon; Son, Suk
