It's 1966 all over again as Korea stun Italy

South Korea turned back the clock yesterday with a World Cup victory over Italy that revived memories of North Korea's shock defeat of the three-times champions in 1966.

A golden goal from Ahn Jung-hwan, the pin-up boy of South Korean soccer, four minutes from the end of extra-time put the co-hosts of Asia's first World Cup into the quarter-finals for the first time with a 2-1 win.

It also sent a signal to their communist rivals in the North that they too could take on the best in world soccer - and maybe go one step further.

"The dream is going on," said South Korean coach Guus Hiddink, who sidestepped comparisons with the North's victory before the game.

But as the Italians came out to warm up, South Korea's fans gave them an uncomfortable reminder of their country's most humiliating World Cup experience - holding up a huge collage of white board spelling out the words "Again 1966" (see picture above).

The Azzurri, who were hoping yesterday for a repeat of the 1986 World Cup when Italy beat South Korea 3-2, were pelted with tomatoes by outraged fans when they returned home in 1966.

In probably the biggest shock in World Cup history, North Korea had beaten Italy 1-0 in the first round of that tournament.

The two Koreas, political and ideological rivals, have been divided for 54 years.

But with 5,000 years of shared history few in the capitalist South were unaware of the feat of 1966 as their national team charted unknown waters in their first foray into the round of 16.

South Korea wrote football history of their own, winning not once but twice in the first round to end a winless streak that had haunted them through five previous finals dating back to 1954.

After three riveting weeks of pacy, high-class football that galvanised a nation and surprised the traditional powers of world soccer, they are on top of the world.

Italy, who came into the tournament as one of the favourites and took the lead with a goal from Christian Vieri, are left to rue what might have been.

This time, the nation reacted with dismay, disbelief, anger and tears and blamed the Ecuadorian referee.

"Death to the referee," chanted hundreds of Italian supporters gathered in central Rome to watch the game on a giant television screen.

Hiddink, who is Dutch, was delighted with yesterday's victory. For him, these finals are more about forging a fresh future for Asian football with surprise challenges to traditional powers than about revisiting history.

North Korea are still technically at war with the South after the 1950-53 war ended with an armed truce rather than a peace treaty.

They were 3-0 up against Portugal in the 1966 quarter-finals before Portugal bounced back with four goals from Eusebio to win 5-3.

This time round, South Korea, in what millions in the country will hope is an omen, defeated Portugal 1-0 in the first round to ensure their elimination from the tournament.

South Korea play Spain on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals - Asia's most important soccer match ever.