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It has taken the North Koreans a little under half a century to return to football's biggest arena - the FIFA World Cup. They last played a World Cup in England way back in 1966 where they proved to be one of the surprise packages of the competition, beating mighty Italy en route to making the quarter-finals. They lost out to the Portuguese after taking a 3-0 lead with less than an hour played in the game. A Eusebio led Portugal side made one of the most dramatic comebacks in the tournament's history by finishing 5-3 winners.
The Koreans are the underdogs in the Group of Death aka Group G that consists of Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast. Their presence in the finals is quite a commendable achievement and one would really not expect them to go beyond the group stages. But the North Koreans are an enigma, known to no one and hence could come up with an unlikely surprise. They are the lowest ranked team in the competition at 106 in the FIFA Rankings, and the only one outside the top 100.
The North Koreans finished ahead of Saudi Arabia in their Qualifying Group, thanks to a superior goal difference and hence made it to South Africe. They were four points behind fierce rivals and neighbours South Korea. They won 3, drew 3 and lost 2 of their 8 games. Their group also consisted of Iran and the UAE.
N.Korea's campaign begins with the toughest possible task as they face off against Brazil. It doesn't become any better as Portugal come knocking after that. Both teams will be expected to bull doze North Korea and even a draw in either game may be considered a reason for national celebration. Ivory Coast are their easiest opposition but that is in comparison to their other opponets. The African giants will be extremely difficult to beat with the likes of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure in their ranks.
Key Players:
Hong Yong-Jo - One of the few players in the squad playing outside the country, Hong Yong-Jo is the captain of the team and a constant goal threat. The attacker has good ball control skills and is dangerous from set pieces. Playing his football in Russia, the striker has been ever present for the national team scoring 4 times in the qualifying campaign.
Jong Tae-Se - The 26-year old forward is currently plying his trade with Japanese team Kawasaki Frontale and has been hailed as the 'Asian Wayne Rooney'. He burst onto the international scene with 8 goals in his first two appearances for North Korea. He is a consistent goal scorer, and likely to be the focal point of the North Korean attack.
Ri Myong-Guk - The heir apparent to Lee Chang-Myung's throne, goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk could very well determine if North Korea is competitive or gets blown away in their tough group. The 23-year old had a brilliant qualifying campaign in which he made vital saves for the team to ensure qualification. Sadly though he could well be a spectator as the likes of Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Fabiano lay siege on his kingdom.
Team:
Goalkeepers: Kim Myong-gil (Amrokgang), Kim Myong-won (Amrokgang), Ri Myong-guk (Pyongyang City)
Defenders: Cha Jong-hyok (Amrokgang), Nam Song-chol (April 25), Pak Chol-jin (Amrokgang), Pak Nam-chol (Amrokgang), Ri Jun-il (Sobaeksu), Ri Kwang-chon (April 25), Ri Kwang-hyok (Kyonggongop)
Midfielders: An Yong-hak (Omiya Ardija), Ji Yun-nam (April 25), Kim Kyong-il (Rimyongsu), Kim Yong-jun (Pyongyang City), Mun In-guk (April 25), Ri Chol-myong (Pyongyang City), Pak Nam-chol (April 25), Pak Sung-hyok (Sobaeksu)
Forwards: An Chol-hyok (Rimyongsu), Choe Kum-chol (April 25), Hong Yong-jo (Rostov), Jong Tae-se (Kawasaki Frontale), Kim Kum-il (April 25)
Top Goal Scorers: Choe Chol-Man(9), Pak Song-Chol(8)
Most Capped Players: Han Song-Chol(16), Choe Chol-Man(19)
Head Coach: Kim Jong-Hun
Form Guide: (DLDLL)
Mar 06, Venezuela 2-1 North Korea
Mar 18, Mexico 2-1 North Korea
Apr 22, South Africa 0-0 North Korea
May 15, Paraguay 1-0 North Korea
May 25, Greece 2-2 North Korea
Fixtures:
15-Jun: Brazil vs. North Korea 7:30pm (GMT) - Match Report
21-Jun: Portugal vs North Korea 12:30pm (GMT) - Match Report
25-Jun: North Korea vs. Ivory Coast 3:00pm (GMT) - Match Report
Most Capped Player: Kim Yong-Jun (53), Mun In-Guk (41)
Top Goal Scorers: Jong Tae-Se (12), Hong Yong-Jo (11)
Team Trivia
North Korea was the first Asian team to progress to the quarters in World Cup finals, doing so in 1966, at Italy's expense.
Also Read:
Group Competitior Previews: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Photograph Copyright: Ryu Voelkel
