North and South Korea yesterday drew 0-0 in a historic, but surreal FIFA World Cup qualifier played in front of an empty stadium and almost completely blocked off from the outside world.
The showdown between the two sides — whose countries are still technically at war — took place at Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Stadium with no live broadcast, no supporters and no foreign media in attendance.
Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min captained South Korea in the first competitive men’s match to be played in Pyongyang, but South Korean fans — frustrated at not being allowed to travel to the game — must wait days to see it on television after officials bring back a recording on DVD.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“North Korea promised to provide a DVD containing full footage of the match before our delegation departs,” the South Korean Ministry of Unification said in a statement.
The only simple way to follow the match, which the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had billed as “one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures” for years, was via the limited online text commentary posted on the FIFA and AFC Web sites.
However, the minimal updates were limited to yellow cards and substitutions.
Qatari referee Abdulrahman al-Jassim booked North Korea’s Ri Yong-jik and Ri Un-chol and South Korea’s Kim Young-gwon and Kim Min-jae.
A photograph posted on the Web site of South Korea’s Korean Football Association (KFA) showed the match in progress with giant floodlights illuminating the empty stands.
Among the tiny number of spectators was FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who flew in to Pyongyang earlier in the day.
“It’s a great pleasure to be here,” said Infantino, who sported a North Korean flag lapel pin as he was welcomed at the airport by North Korean Football Association head Kim Jang-san.
The South Korea side had arrived in Pyongyang on Monday accompanied only by their coaches and support staff.
The delegation had to leave their mobile phones at the South Korean embassy in Beijing ahead of their departure.
“We have to use whatever works at any given moment,” a KFA official said, adding they were relying on e-mails.
South Korean soccer fans were outraged over the blackout and demanded that North Korea be held accountable for not following international standards.
“A game that’s not broadcast live is completely meaningless,” a fan commented online.
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