North Korea move within sight of South Africa

North Korea moved within sight of the World Cup finals Saturday with a 2-0 win over United Arab Emirates in Pyongyang, all but snuffing out any hope the Gulf side had of playing in South Africa.

The Koreans now top Group B in Asian qualifying with 10 points from five games, two points ahead of arch-rivals South Korea, whom they play in Seoul on Wednesday in a grudge match.

In other Group B matches, Iran and Saudi Arabia face each other in a crunch showdown in Tehran later Saturday with the Iranians on six points and the Saudis on four.

Only the top two teams from each group automatically qualify for 2010.

North Korea, the 1966 World Cup quarter-finalists, were far the better team against UAE on the artificial turf of the Kim Il-Sung Stadium.

Pak Choi-Jin scored the opener on 51 minutes with a fine long-range drive with Mun In-Guk putting the game beyond UAE’s reach with a strike in injury time.

It leaves coach Dominique Bathaney’s men languishing on one point from five games with three games to go, including tough trips to Riyadh and Tehran.

The hosts started stronger and had their first chance in the eighth minute when skipper Hong Yong-Jo’s pass found Jong Tae-Se, but goalkeeper Majed Naser did well to deny the striker.

The dangerous Jong tested Naser again when the ‘keeper palmed the ball over from the forward’s header shortly before the break while Haidar Ali had the UAE’s only real effort of the first half soon after.

The Koreans went on the attack in the second period and got their just rewards when Pak picked up a pass on the edge of the area, took one touch and blasted the ball into the top left corner of the net.

UAE did their best to find an equaliser but the Korean defence held firm and Mun made the game safe deep in stoppage-time.