The DPRK grouped with South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a qualification in which 10 Asian hopefuls split into two groups with the first- and second-place teams in each pool getting an automatic berth for South Africa 2010.

The first visiting game against the evenly-matched UAE will be decisive for the DPRK on whether it could finally go to South Africa.

Ri Dong Kyui, a 72-year-old soccer researcher from the DPRK Sports Science Institute, was confident that the DPRK team could defeat UAE in their first match. The most formidable rivals were South Korea and Iran, Ri told reporter of Choson Sinbo, a newspaper run by ethnic Koreans in Japan.

The two Koreas have fought three draws in the lasted three matches. They got to know each other very well, Ri said.

The Iranians were the "natural enemy" against the DPRK, who lost twice to them in the 2005 world cup qualification, Ri said.

But today's DPRK team was different from that of three years ago, when the team played all-out attacking, Ri said. The head coach Kim Jong Hun has changed the tactics to defense-attacking, which proved successful in recent matches, Ri said.

The DPRK has to face the disadvantages of the hot weather and absence of a key forward Chong Dae Sye who penalized by yellow cards in its first play against UAE Saturday.

But "the DPRK team will exploit its capability and wisdom to the most extent from coaches to players," head coach Kim Jong Hun said. The DPRK will go all out to qualify for the World Cup, he added.