North Korea will have to break their drought against rivals South Korea, if they are to hold aloft the East Asian Cup.
Kim Chang-bok s men have never finished higher than fourth at the four-nation event, but opened their campaign with a shock 2-1 win over Japan leaving them as title contenders heading to Sunday s final matches in Wuhan.
South Korea, meanwhile, are the only unbeaten team in the tournament, after downing China and being pegged back to a 1-1 draw against Japan.
The South Koreans have not won the trophy since 2008, finishing as runner-up in 2010 and third in 13.
The signs are good for coach Uli Stielike and his men, their only loss in 13 internationals this year coming to Australia after extra-time in the Asian Cup final in January.
And further to that, the southern neighbours have not lost to their northern counterparts since 1990 the North s only win over the South.
Stielike is set to reintroduce Lee Jae-sung, Kim Seung-dae and Lee Jong-ho to his starting XI.
The three will add attacking prowess to the South Koreans, who have not been held goalless since a 1-0 friendly result against Iran.
North Korea, similarly, have been prolific with goals in seven of their nine international outings this year, albeit being held in their 2-0 loss to China on Wednesday.
Stielike flagged his intentions to experiment in the tournament ahead of South Korea s World Cup qualifiers in September and October, but a win over the old rivals would not only boost his public approval levels in Seoul but also give them trophy-winning confidence.
