SINGAPORE — North Korea's 1-0 win over Japan last week was not only a famous victory over their bitter rivals -- it also made them the Unofficial Football World Champions, according to a tongue-in-cheek website.
The www.ufwc.co.uk site contends that the world title won by Spain in 2010 passed unofficially to Argentina after a friendly win, and then to Japan after the Blue Samurai beat Lionel Messi's men in October last year.
So when Pak Nam Chol buried his 50th-minute header at Pyongyang's bitterly cold Kim Il Sung Stadium last Tuesday, prompting rapturous celebrations, it was a goal that also put the secretive state unofficially on top of the world.
"Heads will shake and eyebrows will raise but, in beating former champions Japan 1-0 on Tuesday, North Korea won the UFWC title and took (virtual) possession of the CW Alcock Cup," said a posting on the website.
"It?s a shock that many football fans are still getting used to, with North Korea becoming one of the least likely champions the game has ever seen.
"That, of course, is the beauty of the UFWC (Unofficial Football World Championship).
"Anything can happen over the course of 90 minutes, and North Korea deserved to take the title from Japan, who had taken the title from Argentina, who had taken the title from Spain... and so on."
In terms of official competition, the win was meaningless for North Korea as they had already been eliminated from 2014 World Cup qualifying, while Japan are into the final Asian round.
According to the site's rankings, Scotland are the most successful team with 86 unofficial world titles, followed by England and Argentina, while North Korea's first puts them joint 42nd alongside Israel and the Dutch Antilles.
The site says its rankings under a "simple boxing-style title system" take into account matches since the first international football match in 1872.
AFP
22 November 2011
15 November 2011
North Korea 1-0 Japan !
Pyongyang: DPR Korea picked up their second win of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, third round qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over reigning AFC Asian Cup champions Japan at the Kim Il-sung Stadium on Tuesday.
With Japan and Uzbekistan having already secured their passage to the next stage of qualifying the result was to prove inconsequential to the outcome of Group C but it was certainly a morale-boosting victory for the North Koreans, who are gearing up for the defence of their AFC Challenge Cup title which takes place in March next year in Nepal.
The feisty encounter which saw Bahrain referee Nawaf Shukralla issue seven yellow cards to the hosts - including two for Jong Il-gwan who was sent off in the 77th minute - was settled in the 50th minute by Pak Nam-chol, scorer of the Chollima's winner in their Matchday 2 victory over Tajikistan.
source : afc.com
With Japan and Uzbekistan having already secured their passage to the next stage of qualifying the result was to prove inconsequential to the outcome of Group C but it was certainly a morale-boosting victory for the North Koreans, who are gearing up for the defence of their AFC Challenge Cup title which takes place in March next year in Nepal.
The feisty encounter which saw Bahrain referee Nawaf Shukralla issue seven yellow cards to the hosts - including two for Jong Il-gwan who was sent off in the 77th minute - was settled in the 50th minute by Pak Nam-chol, scorer of the Chollima's winner in their Matchday 2 victory over Tajikistan.
source : afc.com
11 November 2011
Uzbekistan 1-0 North Korea
Tashkent: Timur Kapadze's strike early in the second-half was enough for Uzbekistan to defeat DPR Korea 1-0 on Friday in Group C of the third round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers sealing the Central Asians' progression to the next phase along with Japan.
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup champions advanced with a 4-0 win over Tajikistan earlier on Friday and the Uzbeks ensured they will join the Japanese as the other qualifier from Group C as Kapadze struck four minutes after the interval to edge the North Koreans in a hard-fought tussle in Tashkent.
DPR Korea's defeat left them on three points, seven behind Uzbekistan and Japan with just two games remaining which leaves them, and Tajikistan who have yet to get off the mark, out of the reckoning for a place in the next round of qualifiers.
06 November 2011
65 fans to join official tour for Japan's World Cup game in N. Korea
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A travel agency organizing a spectator tour for Japan's World Cup qualifier against North Korea on Nov. 15 said Friday 65 fans will travel on the tour to Pyongyang for the Group C clash.
Nishitetsu Travel, which is organizing the Japan Football Association's official tour, said it had 94 internet applications by Thursday evening's deadline and has started contacting the 65 spectators, who were selected based in order of applications and other factors.
The tour, which has been given special government approval and costs around 290,000 yen, will arrive in Pyongyang on Nov. 14 via Beijing and return to Japan's Haneda airport the day after the game.
Government officials said Wednesday arrangements were being made to send Foreign Ministry staff to North Korea to ensure the safety of Japanese supporters when they travel to Pyongyang.
According to the ministry, it would be the first time for ministry bureaucrats to visit North Korea since some accompanied then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on his trip there in May 2004.
The ministry staff will stay in a hotel in Pyongyang and use it as their base since Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties.
Staff from the ministry's Consular Affairs Bureau and Northeast Asia Division under the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau intend to negotiate with North Korean authorities to address contingency situations such as accidents involving Japanese who travel to North Korea for the qualifier.
The move followed Japan's decision to take an exceptional measure to allow members of the national team, accompanying reporters and team supporters who register for official tours organized by the JFA to go to North Korea.
As part of sanctions imposed following North Korea's missile launch in July 2006, Japan has asked its nationals to refrain from visiting North Korea and suspended travel by public servants.
With roughly 200 Japanese people including the media projected to enter North Korea, a government official called it "necessary to dispatch Foreign Ministry staff from the standpoint of protecting Japanese nationals."
The envisioned dispatch has prompted protests from opposition lawmakers who point to what they say is the danger of making such an exception when outstanding issues remain such as North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
(Mainichi Japan) November 5, 2011
Nishitetsu Travel, which is organizing the Japan Football Association's official tour, said it had 94 internet applications by Thursday evening's deadline and has started contacting the 65 spectators, who were selected based in order of applications and other factors.
The tour, which has been given special government approval and costs around 290,000 yen, will arrive in Pyongyang on Nov. 14 via Beijing and return to Japan's Haneda airport the day after the game.
Government officials said Wednesday arrangements were being made to send Foreign Ministry staff to North Korea to ensure the safety of Japanese supporters when they travel to Pyongyang.
According to the ministry, it would be the first time for ministry bureaucrats to visit North Korea since some accompanied then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on his trip there in May 2004.
The ministry staff will stay in a hotel in Pyongyang and use it as their base since Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties.
Staff from the ministry's Consular Affairs Bureau and Northeast Asia Division under the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau intend to negotiate with North Korean authorities to address contingency situations such as accidents involving Japanese who travel to North Korea for the qualifier.
The move followed Japan's decision to take an exceptional measure to allow members of the national team, accompanying reporters and team supporters who register for official tours organized by the JFA to go to North Korea.
As part of sanctions imposed following North Korea's missile launch in July 2006, Japan has asked its nationals to refrain from visiting North Korea and suspended travel by public servants.
With roughly 200 Japanese people including the media projected to enter North Korea, a government official called it "necessary to dispatch Foreign Ministry staff from the standpoint of protecting Japanese nationals."
The envisioned dispatch has prompted protests from opposition lawmakers who point to what they say is the danger of making such an exception when outstanding issues remain such as North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
(Mainichi Japan) November 5, 2011
18 October 2011
Japan to limit spectators traveling to World Cup qualifier in North Korea
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government has asked the Japan Football Association to limit the number of spectators traveling to Pyongyang to watch Japan's World Cup soccer qualifier against North Korea next month to around 200 to 300, government sources said Monday.
The government apparently decided to keep the number of Japanese going to North Korea for the match to a minimum as the Foreign Ministry has asked Japanese nationals to refrain from visiting the country as part of sanctions imposed following a North Korean missile launch in 2006.
It also likely determined that it would be difficult to protect Japanese nationals in the event of trouble at the stadium and elsewhere because Japan and North Korea do not maintain diplomatic relations.
The JFA is expected to respond positively to the government's request, but the move may draw complaints from fans.
The sources said the Justice Ministry and the Foreign Ministry made the request to the JFA during the first half of October, also asking the association to limit the number of media personnel from Japan covering the event to around 50.
The request, however, is not legally binding and Japanese nationals can enter North Korea on their own if they obtain visas at the country's embassy or consulate in China.
Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives Seishiro Eto, who heads a parliamentary group promoting soccer diplomacy, is said to be also considering traveling to Pyongyang via Beijing to watch the Nov. 15 match.
Soccer world governing body FIFA has stipulated that the number of spectators and other details of qualifying round matches for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil should be decided through discussions between the countries of the host and visiting teams.
(Mainichi Japan) October 18, 2011
The government apparently decided to keep the number of Japanese going to North Korea for the match to a minimum as the Foreign Ministry has asked Japanese nationals to refrain from visiting the country as part of sanctions imposed following a North Korean missile launch in 2006.
It also likely determined that it would be difficult to protect Japanese nationals in the event of trouble at the stadium and elsewhere because Japan and North Korea do not maintain diplomatic relations.
The JFA is expected to respond positively to the government's request, but the move may draw complaints from fans.
The sources said the Justice Ministry and the Foreign Ministry made the request to the JFA during the first half of October, also asking the association to limit the number of media personnel from Japan covering the event to around 50.
The request, however, is not legally binding and Japanese nationals can enter North Korea on their own if they obtain visas at the country's embassy or consulate in China.
Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives Seishiro Eto, who heads a parliamentary group promoting soccer diplomacy, is said to be also considering traveling to Pyongyang via Beijing to watch the Nov. 15 match.
Soccer world governing body FIFA has stipulated that the number of spectators and other details of qualifying round matches for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil should be decided through discussions between the countries of the host and visiting teams.
(Mainichi Japan) October 18, 2011
07 October 2011
AFC Women`s U19 - North Korea 2-1 South Korea
Ho Chi Minh City: Kim Su-gyong's goal nine minutes from time sealed a second-half comeback by DPR Korea as they got their AFC U-19 Women's U-19 campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 triumph over Korea Republic.
Korea Republic had taken the lead after 17 minutes when Choi Mi-rae found the back of the net and retained their advantage until midway through the second period when substitute Kim jo-ran's deflected shot levelled the contest.
Kim Su-gyong then finished off good work from Kwon Song-hwa to grab the three points for DPR Korea.
Korea Republic shaded the opening 45 minutes and Yu Ri tested O Chang-ran with a shot following a surging run down the left into the box after quarter of an hour but the DPR Korea keeper pushed the forward's effort over the bar.
Two minutes later, Choi Mi-rae finished off a Korea Republic set piece with a powerful strike that O was unable to keep out to give her side the lead.
Choi Duck-joo's charges continued to press and had another clear sight of goal just after the half-hour mark but Lee Jung-eun side-footed straight at the keeper following a cutback to the edge of the box.
DPR Korea then spurned a good opportunity of their own when Kim Su-gyong lifted an attempt over the bar from inside the area with Kim Min-ah lying prone on the floor after the Korea Republic keeper had made an initial save.
DPR Korea proved more of a force in the second period and had a fantastic opening to equalise just before the hour mark when Kim Un-hyang broke free down the right-hand side and surged into the box but blasted her finish straight at keeper Kim Min-ah.
They did draw level in the 72nd minute when Kwon turned her marker and skipped away down the right flank before squaring for fellow substitute Kim Jo-ran to steer home from the edge of the area with the help of a slight deflection from a Korea Republic defender.
Kim Bich-na had a good chance to restore her side's lead almost immediately at the other end but was off target before DPR Korea grabbed the winner in the 81st minute.
Kwon forged down the left side this time and pulled the ball back to Kim Su-gyong inside the box and the midfielder made no mistake with the finish.
Korea Republic had a half-chance to salvage a point in stoppage time but when the ball fell to Choi Yoo-jung, she was unable to get any power behind her effort.
afc
Korea Republic had taken the lead after 17 minutes when Choi Mi-rae found the back of the net and retained their advantage until midway through the second period when substitute Kim jo-ran's deflected shot levelled the contest.
Kim Su-gyong then finished off good work from Kwon Song-hwa to grab the three points for DPR Korea.
Korea Republic shaded the opening 45 minutes and Yu Ri tested O Chang-ran with a shot following a surging run down the left into the box after quarter of an hour but the DPR Korea keeper pushed the forward's effort over the bar.
Two minutes later, Choi Mi-rae finished off a Korea Republic set piece with a powerful strike that O was unable to keep out to give her side the lead.
Choi Duck-joo's charges continued to press and had another clear sight of goal just after the half-hour mark but Lee Jung-eun side-footed straight at the keeper following a cutback to the edge of the box.
DPR Korea then spurned a good opportunity of their own when Kim Su-gyong lifted an attempt over the bar from inside the area with Kim Min-ah lying prone on the floor after the Korea Republic keeper had made an initial save.
DPR Korea proved more of a force in the second period and had a fantastic opening to equalise just before the hour mark when Kim Un-hyang broke free down the right-hand side and surged into the box but blasted her finish straight at keeper Kim Min-ah.
They did draw level in the 72nd minute when Kwon turned her marker and skipped away down the right flank before squaring for fellow substitute Kim Jo-ran to steer home from the edge of the area with the help of a slight deflection from a Korea Republic defender.
Kim Bich-na had a good chance to restore her side's lead almost immediately at the other end but was off target before DPR Korea grabbed the winner in the 81st minute.
Kwon forged down the left side this time and pulled the ball back to Kim Su-gyong inside the box and the midfielder made no mistake with the finish.
Korea Republic had a half-chance to salvage a point in stoppage time but when the ball fell to Choi Yoo-jung, she was unable to get any power behind her effort.
afc
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