North and South Korea to face off in 2022 soccer World Cup qualifying

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): South Korea and North Korea will face off in the second round of Asia’s qualifying tournament for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after the draw was made yesterday. 

The two Koreas – who met in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany – have been drawn in Group H alongside Lebanon, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka. 

“This is a sports question,” said South Korea coach Paulo Bento. 

“We are going to play two games against North Korea in the same way that we are going to play two games against the rest of the teams in the group and try to win all the games that we are going to play, respecting all the teams in the way that we have until now.” 

South Korea have played in every World Cup since 1986 while the North Koreans have qualified twice, famously reaching the quarter-finals in 1966 before being eliminated in the group phase of the 2010 tournament in South Africa. 

40 teams were drawn in eight groups of five at the Asian Football Confederation’s headquarters, with the top side in each section guaranteed to advance to the next phase along with the four best runners-up. 

Those 12 teams will then face off in two groups of six in the battle for the four slots, and one playoff place, allocated to Asia at the finals in 2022.