Now they are back in the limelight, having clinched the place in the FIFA World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa after a 0-0 draw away to Saudi Arabia.

They join Australia, Japan and Korea Republic in the finals in South Africa next year.

AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam has congratulated DPR Korea for their long-awaited comeback to the world stage.

“I would like to congratulate DPR Korea for securing the automatic qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They have been waiting for so long to recapture their lost glory and I am happy that they did it in style,” he said.

IMPACT OF RIVALRY

The rise of the men’s team, to complement their dominance of the women’s game at youth level, has its roots in the 2002 World Cup hosted by rivals Korea Republic and Japan.

Korea Republic’s ground-breaking run to the semi-finals in that tournament had a wide-ranging impact on Asian football.

It struck a particularly raw nerve north of the 38th Parallel, where football and government chiefs joined the world in watching their bitter southern rivals usurping the north as the most successful Asian country ever in a World Cup finals.

In 1966, DPR Korea shocked world football by reaching the quarter-finals, beating Italy on the way before losing 5-3 to a Eusebio-inspired Portugal, who had fought back from 3-0 down.

Thirty-six years later, Korea Republic were the new Asian darlings of world football as they beat Italy and Spain on the way to the last four. DPR Korea, though, were quick to act.

DEVELOPMENT MANTRA

A few months after the 2002 World Cup, DPR Korea embarked on a FIFA-sponsored project to develop football in the impoverished country.

FIFA also financed the renovation of the 100,000-capacity Kim Il-sung National Stadium in Pyongyang with an artificial surface. A new training complex outside Pyongyang was also built, with a modern, fully equipped gymnasium and office space for the DPR Korea Football Association.

These efforts were reflected in the next World Cup qualifying tournament as DPR Korea reached the final round, although they failed to make it to Germany in 2006.

But the wheels were already turning and they set their sights on 2010. DPR Korea already had in place extensive talent identification and youth development programmes, the results of which are partially manifested in the current first-team squad.

The programmes started bearing fruit in 2006 when their youngsters won the AFC Youth Championship in India. Many of these players are now with the senior squad who have qualified for the South Africa finals.

But it has not been an easy road. Apart from tough opposition, a major obstacle for development is the harsh northern Korean winters, which means football activities in some parts of the country is impossible for up to half the year.

Still, the drive to be equal, if not better than Korea Republic was strong. The north still played second fiddle to the south in the fourth round of 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

They fought out a 1-1 draw in Pyongyang in September with Korea Republic winning the Group B return match in Seoul 1-0, helping them win the group with 16 points, four ahead of DPR Korea.

HIGH AIMS

However, the main goal was qualification. The next target - surpassing their rivals semi-final performance from 2002.

That seems an improbable task. But, then again, who would have thought seven years ago that the Korea who first opened the world’s eyes to Asian football in 1966, would once again re-emerge as a continental force.