[4][5] The 40 players were enlisted into the Army as military officers, under the leadership of colonel and coach Myung Rye-hyun, and went under strict training for the next four years in preparation for the cup.

[3][4] Oh and the others trained twice a day starting at 6:00 a.m. and were under other restrictions which included being unmarried, no smoking, no drinking, and (for the last six months) being in bed by 10:00 p.m.[4] In early 1965, the North Korean leagues were suspended to allow the roster to focus solely on the task of making the World Cup.

[4] Oh and the rest of the players gained experience by playing a number of international matches against nations including North Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and China.

[4][7] At the World Cup, the North Korean team played their home games at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough, England, as part of Group 4 in the tournament which included the Soviet Union, Chile and Italy.

[9] The Guardian noted that despite how heavily favored Italy was, "Shin Yung Kyoo, Ha Jung Won and Oh Yoon Kyung were the equals of Mazzola, Perani and Barison.