Paraguay must be willing to suffer to have any chance of beating Argentina in their FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday, according to head coach Gustavo Alfaro.

Paraguay is unbeaten since Alfaro replaced Daniel Garnero in August, but the 62-year-old manager warned his players would face a different type of challenge at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asuncion.

"Argentina is like water: If you have cracks in your wall, they will find them and cause damage," Alfaro told reporters.

"It's going to be a very intense match. We'll need to be gritty and at the top of our game to have a fighting chance. We'll need to suffer and to wait for the right moment to pounce."

Paraguay is currently sixth in the 10-team South American qualifying group with 13 points from 10 games, nine points behind leader Argentina.

The Guaranies are seeking a berth in football's showpiece tournament for the first time since 2010, when it was eliminated in the quarterfinal by eventual champion Spain.

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