South Korea, Sept. 5 -- Before a meeting of the Korean neighbors in the second stage of 2022 World Cup qualifying, North Korea must navigate a potentially tricky opening fixture against Lebanon in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Forty teams are still active on the road to Qatar but only the eight group winners and four best-placed teams progress to the next stage where Asia's four automatic places in the World Cup are up for grabs.

South Korea, the favorite in Group H, is scheduled to visit Pyongyang on Oct. 15 in a meeting between two countries technically at war.

"We know that North Korea will be tough at home and have World Cup history but we want to get a good start," Lebanon coach Liviu Ciobotariu said. "In a group that also has South Kore...