North Korea Women’s Football: From Covid Hiatus to Asian Cup Contenders
Australia is set to host a compelling contender at the Women’s Asian Cup: North Korea. After a four-year hiatus from international competition due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the team is being touted as one of the tournament favorites, fueled by a remarkable run of success at the youth level.
The North Korean women’s team has demonstrated its dominance in recent years, securing a trio of world titles. They claimed the Women’s U-17 World Cup in in the Dominican Republic and successfully defended that title in Morocco in November of the same year. Adding to their impressive achievements, they also triumphed at the Women’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia in September . This unprecedented sweep of three world titles in just over a year has positioned them as a force to be reckoned with on the senior stage.
Their return to international play comes after a period of isolation, during which they were largely absent from competition. This absence began before the pandemic, with the team facing a ban from World Cup qualifying due to failed doping tests. The pandemic then extended that period of inactivity until their reappearance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where they secured a silver medal, falling to Japan in the final.
North Korea has been drawn into Group B for the Asian Cup, alongside Uzbekistan, China, and Bangladesh. Their opening matches will be a crucial test of their readiness to compete for the title. They are considered among the frontrunners, alongside the host nation, Australia, and Japan.
Japan’s head coach, Nils Nielsen, acknowledged the unique challenge North Korea presents. I think it’s a different kind of football than many other Asian teams, they are very physical, they can run and run and run and they have good quality players,
Nielsen stated. He further emphasized their recent success in youth competitions, noting, I think they have been dominating in youth football on the world scene. It hasn’t quite reached the A team yet but it’s getting there.
This assessment highlights the potential for the North Korean senior team to build upon the foundation laid by their successful youth squads.
The success of North Korea’s women’s football program is rooted in a deliberate, state-sponsored investment that began in the late s. Inspired by a call for a Women’s World Cup at a FIFA congress, delegates from North Korea returned to Pyongyang with a plan to utilize women’s football as a means of asserting their influence on the global stage. This plan involved integrating football programs into school curriculums, establishing women’s teams within the military for full-time training, creating youth talent identification pathways, and constructing new facilities across the country.
As the nation faced increasing political isolation, sport emerged as a key avenue for international competition and success. Under Kim Jong-il, a reported football enthusiast, the women’s game became a platform for promoting North Korea’s political agenda. This strategic investment has clearly yielded results, culminating in the recent string of youth world titles and positioning the senior team as a serious contender in the upcoming Asian Cup.
The team’s resurgence is particularly noteworthy given the four-year break in international play. Their ability to quickly regain form and demonstrate such dominance at the youth level speaks to the strength and depth of their program. The Asian Cup will provide a crucial opportunity to showcase this talent and potentially reclaim their position as one of Asia’s leading footballing nations. Having previously won the continental title three times, all in the s, North Korea will be eager to add another chapter to their storied history.
The tournament kicks off on Sunday in Australia, and all eyes will be on North Korea to see if they can translate their youth success into senior silverware. Their physical style of play, combined with their technical quality, promises to make them a formidable opponent for any team they face. The coming weeks will reveal whether they can live up to the growing expectations and secure a place among the elite of Asian women’s football.