North Korean striker confident of beating Brazil

North Korean striker Jong Tae Se is confident that his side will beat five time champion Brazil on Tuesday.

North Korea is making its first appearance at the tournament since 1966.

"We believe we can win against Brazil. Everybody thinks about that game. We can win that game," Xinhua quoted Jong, as saying.

The 26-year-old striker scored North Korea's sole goal in his team's 3-1 loss to Nigeria on Sunday and netted two more in 2-2 draw with Greece in a warm up match last week.

The team's strength lies with its toughness, Jong said.

"Our team mentality is like Germany, Germany spirits," he said, calling them the strongest in the world.

North Korea pulled one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history at the country's last appearance in 1966, when it beat Italy 1-0 and earned a place in the quarterfinals.

Jong said he's looking to pull a similar feat in South Africa. "I want to surprise again this World Cup," he said.

The teams meets Brazil in their Group G opener at Ellis Park in Johannesburg next Tuesday.