It may not please the purists, but North Korea's football
team is firmly on course for the 2010 World Cup after reaching the last
round of qualifying without losing or even conceding a goal.
If they do make it, it will be the isolated communist state's first World
Cup in 44 years and despite a lowly world ranking of 94, below such minnows
as Gambia and Suriname.
The endeavours also come at a time when the country, ruled with an iron
fist by Kim Jong-Il, is believed to be suffering acute food shortages,
reviving memories of a famine in the 1990s which left up to one million
people dead.
Better known for its nuclear weapons programme and dubious human rights
record, North Korea, who play all in white, have hardly endeared themselves
either with their defensive brand of football.
Yet it appears to work.
In the previous qualifying group North Korea scored only four goals in
their three wins and three draws, but they kept a clean sheet every time
thanks to a solid rearguard action that would make Italy look adventurous.
With Brazil sitting uncomfortably in their qualifying group on the other
side of the world and other end of the footballing spectrum, it raises
the spectre of a World Cup with North Korea but without the five-time
champions.
One of the few who play outside North Korea's tightly guarded borders
is 24-year-old striker Jong Tae-Se, of Kawasaki Frontale, a mid-table
side in Japan's J-League.
Japan-born Jong, dubbed "Asia's Wayne Rooney" by South Korean
media, is confident the North can reach South Africa 2010 despite being
drawn in the harder of two final Asian qualifying groups.
"I think the players of the Republic have very high individual skills
and the team has functioned as a unit with defensive tactics which allowed
individual defensive skills to show. This is a factor in our success,"
said Jong.
He believes the handful of team members who play in the "outside
world" have helped the rest of the squad, most of whom ply their
trade in Pyongyang's 12-team central league.
"I think our presence rather than our capability is what matters
most. I can feel how much they care about how we, as professionals playing
football in the outside world, prepare ourselves mentally in training
and matches."
North Korea are targeting only their second ever World Cup and first since
England 1966, when they stunned the football world by becoming the first
Asian team to reach the quarter-finals, upsetting Italy 1-0 en route.
Their new-found success under coach Kim Jong-Hoon is a far cry from just
a few years ago when they all but vanished from international football
after losing to Japan and South Korea in qualifiers for the 1994 tournament.
Football may be the most popular sport in North Korea but that did not
stop all-powerful leader Kim Jong-Il, angered by the team's poor fortunes,
from banning the team from travelling abroad for 10 years.
They returned to international football at the Bangkok Asian Games in
late 1999 but did not compete in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in
France or the 2002 edition.
That fit of pique passed but the North's players are subject to travel
restrictions that would be unthinkable for most international footballers,
said one seasoned follower of the team.
Ri Gwang-Hong, executive director of the Pyongyang-friendly Korean Football
Association in Japan, has watched most the qualifiers so far.
"The (next) qualifying group has many Middle East countries so it
will be difficult for us to schedule our travels. It is not as easy as
in Japan when it comes to immigration control. We have to find a way,"
said Ri.
Immigration and political concerns means "our team plays fewer matches
abroad than any other team," he said.
Ri also knows that if the team is to come through a group comprising Iran,
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and, again, cross-border rivals South
Korea, they will have to do more than just soak up the pressure and play
on the break.
"We will aim for a kind of football in which we try not to lose,
counting on home advantage and withstanding tough conditions on the road,"
he said.
"It is not good for us to defend only," he added, admitting
the side lacks players with individual skill.
"But we are patient and we never give up," Ri said.
North Korea have the first of their eight final qualifiers on September
6 at UAE and face South Korea four days later. - AFP It may not please
the purists, but North Korea's football team is firmly on course for the
2010 World Cup after reaching the last round of qualifying without losing
or even conceding a goal.
If they do make it, it will be the isolated communist state's first World
Cup in 44 years and despite a lowly world ranking of 94, below such minnows
as Gambia and Suriname.
The endeavours also come at a time when the country, ruled with an iron
fist by Kim Jong-Il, is believed to be suffering acute food shortages,
reviving memories of a famine in the 1990s which left up to one million
people dead.
Better known for its nuclear weapons programme and dubious human rights
record, North Korea, who play all in white, have hardly endeared themselves
either with their defensive brand of football.
Yet it appears to work.
In the previous qualifying group North Korea scored only four goals in
their three wins and three draws, but they kept a clean sheet every time
thanks to a solid rearguard action that would make Italy look adventurous.
With Brazil sitting uncomfortably in their qualifying group on the other
side of the world and other end of the footballing spectrum, it raises
the spectre of a World Cup with North Korea but without the five-time
champions.
One of the few who play outside North Korea's tightly guarded borders
is 24-year-old striker Jong Tae-Se, of Kawasaki Frontale, a mid-table
side in Japan's J-League.
Japan-born Jong, dubbed "Asia's Wayne Rooney" by South Korean
media, is confident the North can reach South Africa 2010 despite being
drawn in the harder of two final Asian qualifying groups.
"I think the players of the Republic have very high individual skills
and the team has functioned as a unit with defensive tactics which allowed
individual defensive skills to show. This is a factor in our success,"
said Jong.
He believes the handful of team members who play in the "outside
world" have helped the rest of the squad, most of whom ply their
trade in Pyongyang's 12-team central league.
"I think our presence rather than our capability is what matters
most. I can feel how much they care about how we, as professionals playing
football in the outside world, prepare ourselves mentally in training
and matches."
North Korea are targeting only their second ever World Cup and first since
England 1966, when they stunned the football world by becoming the first
Asian team to reach the quarter-finals, upsetting Italy 1-0 en route.
Their new-found success under coach Kim Jong-Hoon is a far cry from just
a few years ago when they all but vanished from international football
after losing to Japan and South Korea in qualifiers for the 1994 tournament.
Football may be the most popular sport in North Korea but that did not
stop all-powerful leader Kim Jong-Il, angered by the team's poor fortunes,
from banning the team from travelling abroad for 10 years.
They returned to international football at the Bangkok Asian Games in
late 1999 but did not compete in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in
France or the 2002 edition.
That fit of pique passed but the North's players are subject to travel
restrictions that would be unthinkable for most international footballers,
said one seasoned follower of the team.
Ri Gwang-Hong, executive director of the Pyongyang-friendly Korean Football
Association in Japan, has watched most the qualifiers so far.
"The (next) qualifying group has many Middle East countries so it
will be difficult for us to schedule our travels. It is not as easy as
in Japan when it comes to immigration control. We have to find a way,"
said Ri.
Immigration and political concerns means "our team plays fewer matches
abroad than any other team," he said.
Ri also knows that if the team is to come through a group comprising Iran,
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and, again, cross-border rivals South
Korea, they will have to do more than just soak up the pressure and play
on the break.
"We will aim for a kind of football in which we try not to lose,
counting on home advantage and withstanding tough conditions on the road,"
he said.
"It is not good for us to defend only," he added, admitting
the side lacks players with individual skill.
"But we are patient and we never give up," Ri said.
North Korea have the first of their eight final qualifiers on September
6 at UAE and face South Korea four days later. - AFP It may not please
the purists, but North Korea's football team is firmly on course for the
2010 World Cup after reaching the last round of qualifying without losing
or even conceding a goal.
If they do make it, it will be the isolated communist state's first World
Cup in 44 years and despite a lowly world ranking of 94, below such minnows
as Gambia and Suriname.
The endeavours also come at a time when the country, ruled with an iron
fist by Kim Jong-Il, is believed to be suffering acute food shortages,
reviving memories of a famine in the 1990s which left up to one million
people dead.
Better known for its nuclear weapons programme and dubious human rights
record, North Korea, who play all in white, have hardly endeared themselves
either with their defensive brand of football.
Yet it appears to work.
In the previous qualifying group North Korea scored only four goals in
their three wins and three draws, but they kept a clean sheet every time
thanks to a solid rearguard action that would make Italy look adventurous.
With Brazil sitting uncomfortably in their qualifying group on the other
side of the world and other end of the footballing spectrum, it raises
the spectre of a World Cup with North Korea but without the five-time
champions.
One of the few who play outside North Korea's tightly guarded borders
is 24-year-old striker Jong Tae-Se, of Kawasaki Frontale, a mid-table
side in Japan's J-League.
Japan-born Jong, dubbed "Asia's Wayne Rooney" by South Korean
media, is confident the North can reach South Africa 2010 despite being
drawn in the harder of two final Asian qualifying groups.
"I think the players of the Republic have very high individual skills
and the team has functioned as a unit with defensive tactics which allowed
individual defensive skills to show. This is a factor in our success,"
said Jong.
He believes the handful of team members who play in the "outside
world" have helped the rest of the squad, most of whom ply their
trade in Pyongyang's 12-team central league.
"I think our presence rather than our capability is what matters
most. I can feel how much they care about how we, as professionals playing
football in the outside world, prepare ourselves mentally in training
and matches."
North Korea are targeting only their second ever World Cup and first since
England 1966, when they stunned the football world by becoming the first
Asian team to reach the quarter-finals, upsetting Italy 1-0 en route.
Their new-found success under coach Kim Jong-Hoon is a far cry from just
a few years ago when they all but vanished from international football
after losing to Japan and South Korea in qualifiers for the 1994 tournament.
Football may be the most popular sport in North Korea but that did not
stop all-powerful leader Kim Jong-Il, angered by the team's poor fortunes,
from banning the team from travelling abroad for 10 years.
They returned to international football at the Bangkok Asian Games in
late 1999 but did not compete in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in
France or the 2002 edition.
That fit of pique passed but the North's players are subject to travel
restrictions that would be unthinkable for most international footballers,
said one seasoned follower of the team.
Ri Gwang-Hong, executive director of the Pyongyang-friendly Korean Football
Association in Japan, has watched most the qualifiers so far.
"The (next) qualifying group has many Middle East countries so it
will be difficult for us to schedule our travels. It is not as easy as
in Japan when it comes to immigration control. We have to find a way,"
said Ri.
Immigration and political concerns means "our team plays fewer matches
abroad than any other team," he said.
Ri also knows that if the team is to come through a group comprising Iran,
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and, again, cross-border rivals South
Korea, they will have to do more than just soak up the pressure and play
on the break.
"We will aim for a kind of football in which we try not to lose,
counting on home advantage and withstanding tough conditions on the road,"
he said.
"It is not good for us to defend only," he added, admitting
the side lacks players with individual skill.
"But we are patient and we never give up," Ri said.
North Korea have the first of their eight final qualifiers on September
6 at UAE and face South Korea four days later. - AFP
