Amidst what has been the diplomatic unease of the highest levels between North and South Korea, people from both the Koreas will see their football teams taking on each other for their FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers match in Pyongyang on Tuesday.

The match could not be saved from the political shadows due to the bitter relationship between both the countries as the North Korean officials refused to telecast the match live. In addition to the broadcast blackout, the North also denied entry to the South Korean fans which means only the local fans will be there at the 50,000-capacity Kim Il Sung Stadium.

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The South Korean media have also been blocked from entering their neighbouring country to cover the match. Only 30 staff members from the South’s football association have been allowed with limited access to communicate information about the game, news agency Reuters quoted officials from Seoul as saying.

However, South’s Ministry of Unification, in charge of the inter-Korean affairs, informed that their people would get a chance to grab the highlight of the match as North has promised to provide footage of the qualifying game before the South Korean delegations return home.

These strict actions from the North have come as a surprise given that last year saw a flurry of sports diplomacy being exchanged between the two nations. Before marching together at the opening ceremony of last year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, the North and South had even fielded a joint Ice Hockey team. The two countries even talked about jointly hosting the Olympics in 2032.

For South Korea, this will be the only second football outing in Pyongyang after the first in 1990 which the North won. But, with players like Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Salzburg’s Hwang Hee-chan, who recently scored against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, South do possess a team with greater firepower.

The DPR team, however, should not be taken lightly given their unpredictable footballing style. While the team lost six straight games at the turn of this year, they have managed to salvage some pride in the ongoing qualification tournament. With two wins from as many games, they share the same position with their Southern counterparts.

A lot will also be expected by the home fans from a certain Han Kwang-song, who has recently joined Juventus’ Under-23 squad. He is fondly called ‘North’s Ronaldo” and wears the number 7 jersey for his country.