North Korea's Naegohyang coach calls semifinal toughest hurdle in championship run

Ri Yu-il, the head coach who led North Korea's Naegohyang women's football team to the AFC Women's Champions League title, identified the semifinal match against South Korea's Suwon FC Women as the most challenging part of their championship run. The match took place on May 20th at the Suwon Sports Complex.

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The most impressive match felt like the final, but the toughest hurdle was the semifinal match.

Despite winning the final against Japan's Tokyo Verdy 1-0, Ri emphasized that the semifinal was the "biggest hurdle." He noted that playing against a host nation's team presents unique difficulties, especially for his players, who have limited international experience. "We prepared extensively for various scenarios and trained hard. Our efforts paid off in the actual match," Ri stated in an interview with the pro-North Korean newspaper Choson Sinbo.

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It was the first time I encountered a team of such a high level. Moreover, the match venue was the opponent's home stadium.

Ri acknowledged Suwon FC Women as a team of exceptionally high caliber, a level he had not encountered before. He also mentioned the added pressure of playing in the opponent's home stadium. He has a perfect record against South Korean teams, winning all four previous encounters.

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The most difficult opponent in any match is the host country's team. Our players lack international experience. Therefore, we anticipated various situations and prepared extensively, training a lot. Our dedicated preparation proved effective in the actual match.

Looking ahead, Ri expressed his ambition to maintain Naegohyang's position as a dominant force in Asian football. His next major goal is to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup, with preliminary matches starting in October. "Achieving this would be a significant advancement not only for our team but also for North Korean and Asian football," he said. Ri also shared his experiences interacting with renowned international coaches like Jürgen Klopp and Guus Hiddink, facilitated by his mother's work in international business, which allowed him to communicate in foreign languages.

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As an Asian powerhouse, we must maintain our status and break through the qualifiers for the FIFA 2028 Club World Cup, which begin in October, to reach the final stage. If we achieve that, it will be a great advancement for our team, North Korean football, and Asian football.