South Korea captain Park Ji-sung is doling out advice to his less-experienced teammates to help them cope with the pressure of playing Nigeria in a Group B decider at the World Cup.

The Manchester United midfielder is drawing on his experience in the Premier League and two previous World Cup campaigns as he attempts to lead his country to the round of 16 for the first time away from home.

"I am telling them what is most important is that there is going to be a lot of pressure, but we have to play to our full potential," Park said Monday, a day before the match in Durban.

While six of South Korea's squad plays in European leagues, 13 still play in their country's domestic league. The rest represent clubs in China, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

"I told them they have to be confident," Park said. "Those players who play a lot at home and really play well at home, I told them they should act as if they are playing at home."

South Korea will be guaranteed a place in the round of 16 if it beats Nigeria. Argentina plays Greece in the other Group B match Tuesday night.

Playing at home has so far held the key to World Cup success for South Korea.

The only time the country reached the knockout stage of the tournament was when it co-hosted the tournament with Japan in 2002 and reached the semifinals under inspirational Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, with Park one of the standout players.

His performance earned him a transfer to Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in 2003 and then to Old Trafford two years later, where he has been a regular starter in three victorious Premier League campaigns and played in three League Cup winning teams.

Park scored the only goal in South Korea's last group phase match in 2002 to beat Portugal 1-0 and he hopes his team can emulate that result in Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The match "will determine whether we can move on the last 16 so we do not want to miss any opportunities," Park said.

But Park's time in the pressure cooker atmosphere of the Premier League means he is confident he can carry the weight of a nation's hopes.

"A lot of people have a lot of high expectations and I myself am really looking forward to going on to the round of 16," Park said. "There is pressure, but I think we are capable of overcoming this pressure."

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