11 Sep 2008

Two Koreas draw politically-charged World Cup qualifier

6:49 am on 11 September 2008

North and South Korea, states technically still at war, have drawn 1-1 in a football World Cup qualifying match moved to Shanghai for political reasons.

The match was originally scheduled to be played in Pyongyang but FIFA moved it because the North Koreans refused to play the South's anthem and raise the flag of its foe at a stadium in its capital.

South Korea is looking for a seventh straight trip to the World Cup finals and played the anthem of its Cold War rival and raised its flag when the North came to Seoul in June.

The result leaves North Korea top of the group with four points from two matches after they won 2-1 away to United Arab Emirates last week.

South Korea are second with a point after one match.

The top two in the two groups that make up the fourth round of Asian qualifying earn places in the 2010 finals in South Africa, with the fifth-placed team to play New Zealand.