Kolkata : North Korea secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as they beat Japan in the Round of 16 of the tournament.
North Korea’s two goals came in the second half, with eventually finding the breakthrough after a goalless opening 45 minutes. It was an own goal by Asako Firata. Yon A Choi added the second goal later with the assist of Rim Jong Choi in the match to secure their 2-0 victory over Japan and book their place in the quarter-finals.
The defending champions were perfect in the group stage, having won all three of their matches, including 2-0 against Portugal, 4-0 against Costa Rica and 3-0 against Colombia. North Korea did not concede any goals in Group E and qualified to the next round as the group winners.
Japan also progressed to the round of 16 as the runners-up of Group D. The Japanese side started their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over New Zealand and followed it with draws against the USA (2-2) and Italy (1-1). As a result, Japan picked up five points from three games and met DPR Korea in the Round of 16.
The sides had faced off against each other in the final of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup this year. Japan had beaten North Korea 1-0 in that match, with Momoka Sano scoring the only goal of the game in the second half. The two teams also met in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final, with North Korea winning 2-1 to secure the title.
The meeting was another chapter in a rivalry that has become a regular feature of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup. Japan and North Korea have faced each other in the final of the competition for the last five editions, underlining their dominance in Asian youth women’s football.
Coming into their meeting against each other, both teams had a point to prove. Japan wanted to prove that they could progress beyond the Round of 16, having topped their group with three straight wins. North Korea, on the other hand, needed to show that they were worthy of their status as reigning world champions.
North Korea did not disappoint against Japan, recording their fourth consecutive victory in Poland to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. They have defeated Japan 2-0 and register their third successive clean sheet in the tournament.
Japan saw their unbeaten group stage come to an end in the Round of 16. North Korea, meanwhile, North Korea will now face Canada in the quarter-finals as they continue their bid to defend the U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
