If you are only going to have one World Cup appearance under your belt then you could do a lot worse than North Korea’s 1966 adventure. The Chollima’s 1-0 victory over Italy in the final group game is one of the most famous shocks in the history of the World Cup, or any other tournament. The quarter-final against Portugal almost matched it. The East Asians raced into a 3-0 lead in Liverpool before the mighty Eusebio and fatigue intervened to give the Iberians a 5-3 win and a place in the last four. Now, after 44 years, they are back.

The statistics don’t lie. North Korea’s modern success stems from a solid backline. A five-man defence conceded just seven times in 16 qualifiers and it is a defence that isn’t afraid to stay behind the white line. The team counter-attacks at speed and is capable of catching out an opposition that strays too far forward.

Key Player
Jong Tae-se (Kawasaki Frontale)
Hong Yong Jo (FC Rostov)
An Yong Hak (Suwon Bluewings)