Kim Jong-il, 68, known to the Korean people as the Dear Leader, “proposed the tactics” which helped the little-known side finish second in their qualifying group.
The official said Kim Jong-il personally guided the team at the stadium during the crucial draw with Iran in April last year. He added, “Perhaps there’s no other team in the world who would be fighting with the same dedication to please the leader and to bring fame to their motherland.”
A total of 17,000 tickets will be devoted to the football-mad North Korean fans but none of them are allowed to go to South Africa.
About 80,000 fans regularly watched the team’s qualifying campaign. But the 17,386 tickets the country will get for their games against Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast are expected to find their way on to the black market, according to Mirror.
Kim Jong Su of the North Korean Football Association said, “The Great Leader gave in-depth guidance on the development of Korean football. He proposed the game’s tactics most relevant for the physiological characteristics of the Korean players.”