A six-member delegation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will arrrive in North Korea on January 24th for a three-day visit to check on the Stalinist state's prepartions for hosting final preliminaries for the 2006 World Cup games.

The Japanese paper, 'Nikkan Sports', reported that AFC Secretary General Peter Velappan made the announcement in a news conference held in Japan on Sunday.

The Asian soccer agency will reportedly inspect accomodations, transportation, security conditions and the Kim Il-sung Stadium, the local venue for the North's at-home final preliminaries.

North Korea and Japan are set to face off first in Japan next month, followed by a second match in June in Pyongyang.