Seoul  - North Korea has again accused South Korea its footballers around a World Cup qualifier between the two nations last week.

North Korean coach said after the April 1 game, which South Korea won 1-0, that three of his players had suffered from food poisoning and that the ruling football body FIFA denied his request to play the game at a later date on neutral ground.

North Korea followed up on Sunday with a statement that the incident was part of a confrontation policy of South Korean President Lee Myung Bak. It asked FIFA to investigate.

"It can be said that it was beyond all doubt that the incident was a product of a deliberate act perpetrated by adulterated foodstuff (as the players fell ill) just before the match," a statement from the North Korean football federation said.

South Korean football federation spokesman Lee Won Jae said on Monday that his body was only responsible for training and transportation of visiting teams.

All other issues were in the hands of the other team, Lee said, which did not put his federation into a position to comment on them.

South Korea also said that the sick players were examined by a sports doctor who discovered no problems.

South Korea moved atop their five-team qualifying group with the victory, one point ahead of North Korea. The two top teams from each group go to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the third-placed team has the chance to make it through playoffs.

The football issue comes at a time of rising tensions between the two nations.

North Korea defied international warnings with a controversial rocket launch on Sunday. State media said a satellite had been put into orbit, while others like South Korea and the US suggested the launch a cover for a long-range missile test.(dpa)