North Koreas womens soccer team set for rare match in South Korea

North Korean Women’s Football Club to Play in South Korea’s Asian Champions League Semifinals

A North Korean women’s football club, Naegohyang FC, will compete against Suwon FC from South Korea on May 20 in the semifinals of the Women’s Asian Champions League. The match is scheduled to take place at Suwon Sports Complex, located south of Seoul.

According to the Ministry of Unification, a delegation consisting of 27 players and 12 club staff members will travel to South Korea on May 17. They will arrive at Incheon airport on an Air China flight from Beijing. The team’s arrival marks the first time a North Korean sports team has played in South Korea since 2018.

The winner of the match will advance to the final against either Melbourne City from Australia or Tokyo Verdy Beleza from Japan on May 23. The losing team is expected to return home on May 21, with no third-place playoff scheduled.

Naegohyang FC was founded in 2012 and features a squad composed mainly of national team-level players. North Korea’s national team has achieved success in recent years, including winning the U-17 Women’s World Cup final against the Netherlands last November.

The match is part of the Asian Champions League, which brings together top women’s club teams from across Asia. The tournament is scheduled to conclude on May 23.

Source: Al Jazeera