After famously beating Italy at 1-0 at Ayresome Park to become the first Asian team to qualify for the quarter-finals, North Korea spent nearly 30 years in the football wilderness.

But over the past decade the exiled state enjoyed a revival of fortunes with the women's football team running riot on the international scene before the men came close to a second finals appearance in Germany.

And on June 19 last year in Riyadh, after a hard-fought goalless draw with four-time finalists Saudi Arabia, North Korea secured the point they needed to edge out Iran on goal difference and secure a trip to South Africa after defying sizeable odds to take one of the continent's four automatic spots.

North Korea's 1966 story was portrayed in the award-winning documentary "The Game Of Their Lives" after the seven surviving members of the team which beat Italy in Middlesbrough returned to the site of Pak Do-ik's famous goal in October 2002.

North Korea had qualified for the finals in England by beating Australia after the other Asian and African nations withdrew following protests over the decision to allow only one qualifier from their continents.

The fairytale continued for 25 minutes of the last-eight meeting with Portugal at Goodison Park, as North Korea stormed into a 3-0 lead before Eusebio scored four times to seal a 5-3 comeback win.

And North Korea's latest World Cup exploits would also make interesting viewing after a mammoth campaign spanning 20 months and 16 games, including four controversial clashes with neighbours South Korea.

North Korea came close to qualifying for Germany 2006 after easing into the final group stage before coming unstuck, although their exit also grabbed worldwide headlines after soldiers and riot police had to step in when violence erupted following a 2-0 home defeat by Iran in March 2005.

Bottles, stones and even chairs were thrown onto the pitch in Pyongyang after Nam Song Chol was sent off when the home side were denied a penalty.

North Korea's 2010 campaign started in October 2007 with a 9-2 aggregate win over Mongolia, which secured Kim Jong-hun's side a bye to the third round and a place in a group alongside South Korea, Jordan and Turkmenistan.

A 1-0 win in Jordan signalled a solid start to their campaign before South Korea's planned trip to the artificial pitch in Pyongyang caused obvious tension.

The home side would not allow their neighbours to display their flag or sing their national anthem at the Kim Il-sung Stadium and after negotiations stalled, FIFA intervened and the goalless draw was played out at the Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai.

North Korea secured a place in the final group stage with a 2-0 win over Jordan after sharing a goalless draw in Turkmenistan and beating them 1-0 at home.

Kim's side ended the group stage with an impressive record without conceding a goal in six games, although their neighbours claimed top spot on goal difference after a second goalless draw in Seoul with both sides already assured of qualification.

But predictably the pair were again thrown together in the final group phase with only two automatic places available from a daunting group which also contained regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran and United Arab Emirates.

North Korea opened with a 2-1 win in Abu Dhabi and another draw with South Korea in Shanghai before defeats by Iran and their neighbours either side of home wins over Saudi Arabia and the UAE threatened to derail their campaign.

With political tensions between the North and the South continually strained for more than 50 years, footballing tensions continued to escalate before and after the game in Seoul.

South Korea moved to the top of the group after Kim Chi-woo's free-kick secured a 1-0 win, but North Korea had demanded the game be postponed with three players, including striker Jong Tae-se, reportedly suffering from food poisoning.

North Korea claimed "it was beyond all doubt" that their food had been altered as a "product of a deliberate act" before the game, although South Korean officials quickly moved to stress they could not be held responsible for the opposing teams' catering or accommodation.

They also accused the match officials of bias after claiming Jong's header shortly after half-time crossed the line before being palmed away by goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, although television replays proved inconclusive.

North Korea, though, remained in second place with a goalless draw against Iran, but on the final match day faced a daunting trip to Saudi Arabia with both teams and Iran in contention to join group winners South Korea in the finals.

But after Iran were held to a 1-1 draw by South Korea, North Korea secured the point they needed to edge out Iran on goal difference after Saudi Arabia wasted a number of scoring opportunities.