If the mystery men of North Korea explode on to the World Cup scene in South Africa as devastatingly as they did on their only other appearance, 44 years ago, then be ready for an occasion to savour. The class of '66 who took England by storm perhaps did more towards fostering diplomatic relations for their dictatorship back home than any other sportsmen. Having benefited from an Asian boycott of the qualifying tournament the previous year, they were drawn in the same group as a powerful Italian team. But they stunned the Azzurri with a goal by Doo-Ik Pak to claim a place in the quarter-finals.
The humbled Italians left Ayresome Park, then the home of Middlesbrough football club, to a chorus of boos from their travelling supporters and returned to Rome airport to be met by a barrage of rotten tomatoes. The North Koreans then gave Portugal the runaround in the early stages of their quarter-final at Everton's Goodison Park. Leading 3-0 with only a quarter of the match gone, they looked set to face England in the last four. But Portugal suddenly got the measure of them and transformed the contest into a 5-3 victory, courtesy of four goals by the legendary Eusebio.
The Koreans were given a standing ovation at the end of one of the most exciting World Cup games ever. wjohnson@thenational.ae