North Korean soccer team beats South Korean hosts in rare match between divided countries
Naegohyang rallied from a 1-0 deficit to reach the final, with $1 million in prize money at stake and a rare inter-Korean sports visit drawing intense interest.
- On Wednesday, North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC faces South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the Asian Women's Champions League semi-final, marking the first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years.
- Arriving in South Korea on Sunday, Naegohyang's squad navigated complex diplomatic tensions, as the two nations remain technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce.
- Head coach Ri Yu-il and captain Kim Kyong Yong deflected political questions during Tuesday's press conference, with Ri stating, "We will concentrate exclusively on the game."
- Around 3,000 spectators from civic groups are expected to cheer both teams, supported by US$200,000 in Seoul government funding, though no official away supporters are permitted.
- The winner advances to Saturday's final in Suwon to face either Australia's Melbourne City or Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza, after 7,087 general admission tickets sold out last week.
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In South Korea, a historic women's football match between a North Korean team and a South Korean team is the first match between the two countries on South Korean soil since 2018. A semi-final game of the Asian Champions League, much expected by the South Koreans.
North Korea women win rare match in South to reach final
North Korea’s first sports team to visit the South in eight years reached the Asian Women’s Champions League final on Wednesday as Naegohyang Women’s FC beat Suwon FC Women 2-1. Naegohyang came from behind to defeat their rivals from the South amid torrential rain in Suwon, in a hard-fought semi-final played in a fair spirit without any major flashpoints. READ: North Korean football team ventures into South Suwon captain Ji So-yun missed a penal…
In a torrential rain, hundreds of South Koreans hailed North Korean guests during a rare football match between the two divided countries, Wednesday, when the Naegohyang women's team in Phenian defeated Suwon host by 2-1, on the background of political tensions, reports AP.
The interest was high, the security also: The first trip of a North Korean sports team to South Korea was successful for the Naegohyang Women's FC from Pyongyang.
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