U23 Friendly : Jordan 1-0 DPR Korea

Jordan Men’s Olympic Team defeated DPR Korea 1-0 in a friendly international that was held at The Sevens Stadium during their training camp in Dubai in preparation for the Qatar 2016 AFC U-23 Championship.

The two teams will meet again for another match-up on Thursday, then they’ll play another friendly against Uzbekistan on January 6th before traveling to Doha on the 7th to take part at the AFC U-23 Championship.

Ehsan Haddad scored Jordan’s winner in the 76th minute as Jordan dominated play throughout the match.

Head coach Jamal Abu Abed fielded his first-team squad in the friendly encounter and he will field a different lineup for the second match to give the chance for the players who didn’t participate in Tuesday’s encounter.

http://www.jfa.com.jo/JfaNewsDetails.aspx?NID=7483&lang=en

UAE U23s kick-start Asian Championship preparation in style with win over North Korea

As part of their preparation for the 2016 AFC U23 Championships, the UAE beat North Korea 3-0 in a warm-up match at Dubai Police Officers Club on Wednesday night.

Abdullah’s Misfir’s team opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Al Wasl midfielder Abdullah Kazim, and the lead was doubled when Al Wahda striker Sultan Saif slotted home a penalty 13 minutes later.

The UAE, who are bidding to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, played two separate teams in each half with 24 of the squad’s 27 players getting action on the night.

In a bad tempered second period, both sides had a player sent off including Waleed Anbar of Emirates.

The UAE completed the scoring in the 84th minute when Yousef Saeed of Sharjah finished off a quick counterattack.

The AFC U23 Championships in Qatar starts on January 12, with the UAE kicking off their campaign against Australia two days later.

http://www.thenational.ae/sport/uae-football/uae-u23s-kick-start-asian-championship-preparation-in-style-with-win-over-north-korea

Friendy Dec 23 : UAE U23 vs DPR Korea U23

Dubai/ The UAE Olympic national team’s players launche their final preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Cup finals/ 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games with a three-day training camp from the Time Grand Hotel in Dubai on Monday.

The boys in white train at 6.30pm at the Zeyab Awana ground at the association’s headquarters in Al Khawaneej under the guidance of their head coach Abdulla Misfer and his assistants.

Meanwhile, 27 players have been called for the training camp to carry the country’s hopes in the qualifiers. 

According to the plan which has been setup by the technical staff, the boys will work during Monday evening and return to action on Tuesday morning and evening. The first test will be against North Korea on Wednesday at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

 

http://www.uaefa.ae/en/index.php?go=news&more=24626

Friendly Today : Uzbekistan 4-2 DPR Korea

Uzbekistan FA :

"Uzbekistan U22 will play a friendly match with DPR Korea on December 20 at the Seventh stadium in Dubai."

https://twitter.com/UzbekistanFF_en

Uzbekistan 4-2  DPR Korea FT

2-0 at HT

FIFA World Cup Qualifier : DPR Korea 2-0 Bahrain FT

1-0 : 46 mins PAK Kwang Ryong (Korea DPR) successfully converts the penalty!

2-0  93 mins  JONG Il Gwan (Korea DPR) scores!!

Uzbekistan vs North korea 3-1 All Goals & highlights (World Cup Qualifiers) 12/11/2015

Jong Chang Bom: from benchwarmer to matchwinner

Eighty-four minutes had already passed at the Estadio Regional de Chinquihue when Costa Rica levelled the scores at 1-1 against Korea DPR, a result that would have consigned the Asian side to a premature group-stage exit at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015.

“At that moment I thought, ‘It’s all over,’” Jong Chang Bom recalled when discussing the closing minutes of his team’s encounter with the Ticos with FIFA.com. “But a second later I realised we only needed one more goal – and we did everything in our power to get it.”

The young striker ultimately found the target in stoppage time to hand the Asian champions a momentous 2-1 win and secure their place in the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed group finishers. Korea DPR’s players exuberantly celebrated this unlikely achievement from the moment the final whistle sounded, their jubilation continuing in the dressing room long after the stands emptied.

A surprising but perfectly timed performance
Coach Yon Kwang Mu’s charges knew only too well that a group containing South Africa, Russia and Costa Rica had given them far more of a headache than many had expected. A 2-0 defeat by the Europeans was swiftly followed by a 1-1 draw with the competition’s African debutants, to leave the North Koreans on the brink of an early exit.

“We had to acclimatise to life here in Chile and get used to the conditions, and that took a while,” Jong explained. “We had some difficulties in the first two matches but improved against Costa Rica. We just needed a little time,” he said, adding confidently: “We’ll get better; against Mali we want to play the way we did at the Asian Championship.” At last year’s continental showdown, Korea DPR swept aside teams including Iran, Australia and southern neighbours Korea Republic to lift the trophy.

Jong’s own South American adventure also got off to a bumpy start. Introduced as a second-half substitute in his team’s opener, he was then brought off by his coach for tactical reasons just 33 minutes into the second game. The smallest player in the North Korean squad finally played the full 90 minutes against the Central Americans, repaying Yon’s trust in him with a superb performance in which he set up Pak Yong Gwan’s first-half strike in fine style before netting the winner in injury time.

Battle of the continental champions
Jong insists that he has never encountered any difficulties as a result of his diminutive stature. “You just have to concentrate on other things,” he explained. “Although headers are occasionally tough, every player has their own individual strengths they can focus on.”

Korea DPR’s Round of 16 tie will be a clash between two continental heavyweights. African champions Mali garnered attention during the group stages with their irrepressible attacking intent, registering a record 70 attempts on goal in three matches.

“I’d prefer our opponents to play on the front foot, as it should make for an interesting game,” said an excited Jong ahead of Thursday’s fixture in Talca. “We might even have a slight advantage, having already played South Africa and getting to know African football a little better. If we work together, we can beat anyone,” he continued.

“Of course we want to win the title here. Nobody has travelled to Chile just to survive the group stage. Many teams have no idea how good we are. We want to show the world what we can do and prove that Korea DPR are not a weak side.”

http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/news/y=2015/m=10/news=jong-chang-bom-from-benchwarmer-to-matchwinner-2722637.html

FIFA World Cup Qualifier : DPR Korea 1-0 Yemen

DPR Korea won 1-0 .

12 min penalty kick Jong il Gwan

FIFA World Cup Qualifier : DPR Korea 0-0 Philippines

FIFA World Cup Qualifier today

DPR Korea vs Philippines

Start 16.00 (Pyongyang)

Kim Il Sung Stadium

Possible working livestream : http://www.weglobalfootball.com/2015/10/07/afc-world-cup-qualifying-live-streams-october-2015/

Livescore : www.futbol24.com

DPR KOREA FIRST THROUGH TO AFC U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Singapore: DPR Korea will get the chance to defend their Under 16 title after they became the first side to qualify for the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship following a 2-0 over Thailand on Sunday that saw them finish top of Group H.

DPR Korea, who ironically won the 2014 AFC U-16 Championship in Thailand when they defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in the final in Bangkok, took the lead with 33 minutes at the Jalan Besar Stadium played, with Kye Tam scoring his second of the qualifiers following his effort in the 3-0 Matchday 2 win over Singapore.

The North Koreans doubled their advantage two minutes after the hour mark when Paek Kwang-min scored what transpired to be the final goal of the game as Kim Yong-hun’s side topped Group H with a 100% record, booking their ticket to India having scored 12 and conceded none in their three matches in Singapore.

After Sunday’s disappointing finale, which saw Thailand finish with nine men after Sumana Salapphet was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 85th minute before Natthapong Nakpitak was red carded two minutes later, Khunnan Payong and his side must wait until the conclusion of the qualifiers on September 20 to see if they have done enough to go through as one of the best group runners-up.

Singapore, meanwhile, finished their campaign on a positive note as two goals in the last ten minutes saw the Group H hosts come from 1-0 down and defeat Cambodia in the later fixture at the Jalan Besar Stadium as the two ASEAN nations met to determine the third and fourth-place finishers.

Sieng Chanthea put the Cambodians one up three minutes after the interval only for Glen Kweh to pull Singapore level in the 69th minute.

As the game entered the 81st minute Khairie bin Abdul Hamid made it 2-1 for the hosts and with two minutes left on the clock Irfan Jeferee extended Singapore’s advantage as the Cubs ended the qualifiers with a win.

The ten other group winners and four best second-placed teams will join DPR Korea and India in next year’s finals, with the tournament hosts receiving an automatic qualification.

Should India finish top of their qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the fifth best second-placed nation will qualify for the final competition.

The qualifying action continues on September 12 when Group G, which features Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Northern Mariana Islands, and Timor Leste, kicks-off in Vientiane, while the remaining nine other groups all get underway four days later.

afc.com

World Cup qualifying matches in Pyongyang

** World Cup 2018 Qualifying Matches to be Held in Pyongyang **

A great opportunity for tourists to watch some international football matches at the Kim Il Sung Stadium. The atmosphere will be fantastic!

- DPRK vs Philliphine; Oct 08, 2015
- DPRK vs Yemen; Oct 13, 2015
- DPRK vs Bahrain; Nov 17, 2015

Our WPK Foundation Day group tours will cover the October matches and we will be offering the chance to spectate at one or indeed both games.

Alternatively, come by yourself or with friends, on personalised tour dates and length, by booking one of our private tours to coincide with the match of your choice.

https://www.facebook.com/JucheTravelServices?fref=ts

RUSSIA 2018/UAE 2019 QUALIFIERS: BAHRAIN 0-1 DPR KOREA

Riffa: DPR Korea continued their perfect start to the second preliminary round of joint-qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup with substitute Jong Il-gwan’s first-half goal seeing the Chollima edge Bahrain 1-0 on Thursday.

The 2010 AFC Youth Player of the Year scored just two minutes after coming off the bench to replace So Hyon-uk and with neither side able to add to the scoreline at the Bahrain National Stadium, Jong’s goal was enough for DPR Korea to make it three wins out of three.

The North Koreans’ victory consigned Bahrain to their second straight defeat following their 2-1 loss to the Philippines in their Group H curtain raiser, leaving the Gulf side fourth in the five-team table above Yemen, who lost their third successive match after going down 1-0 to Uzbekistan.

Bahrain and Yemen will be desperate for their first points when the two meet in Doha on Tuesday, with DPR Korea resuming their campaign next month when they host the Philippines.

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.

the-afc.com

FIFA World Cup qualifier : Bahrain vs DPR Korea , Livestream link

http://shoof.alkass.net/shoof/live/live_4.php

Bahrain vow to fight till the end

Manama: Bahrain coach Sergio Batista vowed to fight till the last minute when his team take on North Korea today at the National Stadium in a do-or-die clash of the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers, starting at 6.40pm.

Bahrain will be looking for their first victory in Group ‘H’ after their 1-2 defeat at the hands of the Philippines in the first match.

“We did our best during our training camps. The players had a long break after the league. So we had to work hard on our fitness and tactics,” said the Argentine at yesterday’s Press conference at Bahrain National Stadium. 

“We acknowledge that North Korea prepared for this match better than us. They had a friendly tournament and played three matches but we have studied our opponents very well and know what to expect from this game,” Batista added. 

Batista held a training camp in Turkey last month and is delighted to have achieved his targets during that time. 

“We did not play friendlies like them. We had no time for friendlies and there were a lot of things to be done after the loss against the Philippines. We had more things to concentrate on that were not going to be fixed by friendlies.

“We worked hard on the physical aspect of the players and their fitness. We worked on how to develop a winning mentally in all our games, not only against North Korea. Our players are ready for such an important game now,” said the coach. 

Batista knows that in case Bahrain loses today’s match it would complicate his side’s chances in the qualifications. 

“It will be painful if we lose but we will never lose hope until the last minute. We will fight till the end and try to qualify,” Batista said. 

Batista said he has studied his opponents very well using data and video analysis and has figured their style of play.

“Our opponents have improved recently. They are good in free kicks and they depend on long balls to finish off the game. They always try and have a fast game so that they can control it and outplay their opponents but we are ready.

“They are here as group leaders and anything other than a loss will be a good result for them, but our concentration on the game needs to be high. We will not be rushing for a win but rather try and control the tempo of the game,” Batista said. 

“It’s a 90-minute game and anything can happen in a second. We need to be able to control it from start to finish and try and block their counter attacks,” Batista added. 

North Korea are known to depend on a strong defensive line and play long balls to their striker to score goals.

“We have shown our players their videos and highlighted key moments and aspects to concentrate on. Our attitude and the atmosphere we create during the game can make a difference,” he said. 

“They will be defending most of the time, but we are capable of taking their defence apart,” Batista concluded. 

The other teams in the group are Uzbekistan, Philippines and Yemen.

http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/21775/Bahrain-vow-to-fight-till-the-end

FIFA World Cup qualifier Bahrain vs DPR Korea

DPR KOREA DOWN KOREA REPUBLIC TO DEFEND EAFF WOMEN’S TITLE

Wuhan: DPR Korea successfully defended their EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) Women’s East Asian Cup title on Saturday when a 2-0 victory over Korea Republic saw the champions conclude the four-team, round robin tournament with a 100% record.

The North Koreans began the defence of the title they won two years ago in Seoul with a 4-2 victory over Japan before fending off an impressive fightback from 2015 tournament hosts China, who clawed back a two-goal deficit only to go down 3-2 as Wi Jong-sim’s 69th minute winner set up Saturday’s decisive Korean derby with their neighbours, who also boasted a 100% record going into the match at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium.

Yun Song-mi put the defending champions ahead with 22 minutes played before Ra Un-sim, whose brace in the last 11 minutes of the opening match contributed to DPR Korea’s victory over a second-string Nadeshiko, extended the advantage seven minutes after the interval with her third of the campaign.

As it transpired, Ra’s goal completed the scoring as the reigning champions ensured the trophy would return to Pyongyang on the back of a perfect campaign for the North Korean ladies.

Japan, whose squad included just six players from the side that finished runners-up at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, took third place after goals in the last two minutes from Kumi Yokoyama (88th) and Ami Sugita (90th) saw the reigning Asian champions defeat China 2-0 in the later fixture at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium.

afc.com

EAFF WOMEN’S EAST ASIAN CUP 2015: MD2

Wuhan: A Korea derby will decide the winners of the EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) Women’s East Asian Cup 2015 after defending champions DPR Korea and Korea Republic both registered their second victories in the four-team round robin tournament, with wins over Japan and China respectively on Tuesday.

A stoppage-time goal saw Japan crash to their second defeat at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium as a second-string Nadeshiko let slip a first-half lead to go down 2-1 to Korea Republic while the North Koreans saw off the challenge of hosts China, who had clawed back a two-goal deficit only to see their slim chances of a first EAFF title end when the cup holders scored again to run out 3-2 winners

Emi Nakajima put a Japanese side that featured just six players from the side that finished runners-up at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup 1-0 up on the half-hour mark before two second-half goals turned the contest in the South Koreans’ favour.

Taeguek Nangja skipper Cho So-hyun cancelled out the INAC Kobe Leonessa midfielder’s opener before Cho’s Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels’ team-mate Jeon Ga-eul struck three minutes into second-half stoppage time as Korea Republic made it two wins out of two following their opening day win over China.

The Chinese went into Tuesday’s later fixture looking to bounce back from their 1-0 loss to Korea Republic on the opening day but the tournament hosts found themselves on the back foot with just five minutes played, when Kim Yun-mi put the North Koreans 1-0 before Wi Jong-sim doubled the advantage in the 24th minute with the first of her brace.

Li Dongna reduced the deficit from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute and just seven minutes after the interval China completed the comeback courtesy of Wang Shanshan, who highlighted her eye for goal at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup where she found the target against New Zealand and Cameroon.

But China were left playing catch up once again when Wi struck her second in the 69th minute with what transpired to be the winning goal, as DPR Korea joined their southern neighbours at the top-of-the-table ahead of the decisive Korea-derby on Saturday, which will determine the 2015 EAFF champions.

afc.com

DPR KOREA UPSET JAPAN IN EAST ASIAN CUP OPENER

Wuhan: DPR Korea upset favourites Japan as they beat the Asian giants 2-1 in their EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) East Asian Cup 2015 campaign opener at the Wuhan Sports Center Stadium in China on Sunday.

The Japanese took the lead within three minutes through Urawa Reds star and international debutant Yuki Muto thanks to a Wataru Endo assist.

Vahid Halilhodzic’s side went into the break having maintained their slender advantage, but the North Koreans drew level late on in the second half when Ri Hyok-chol equalised on 78 minutes, before Pak Hyong-il found the net two minutes from time to give Kim Chang-bok’s charges all three points.

In the day's other game, Korea Republic beat China 2-0 to go to the top table above DPR Korea in the four-team tournament.

Pohang Steelers striker Kim Seung-dae opened the scoring on the stroke of half time thanks to a pass from Lee Jae-sung, before Lee Jong-ho doubled their lead on 57 minutes to give Uli Stielike's side the win.

The regional tournament, which is being seen an ideal opportunity for teams to prepare for Spetember's 2018 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2019 joint qualifiers, will continue on Wednesday with Japan taking on Korea Republic and China facing DPR Korea.

afc.com

EAFF WOMEN’S EAST ASIAN CUP 2015 MD1

Wuhan: There were wins for DPR Korea and Korea Republic on the opening day of EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) Women’s East Asian Cup 2015 on Saturday as the North Koreans defeated Japan 4-2 while their southern neighbours edged tournament hosts China 1-0.

The opening match of the four-team round robin tournament brought together DPR Korea, the defending champions, and 2013 runners-up Japan, who retained just six players from the squad that reached the final of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup as head coach Norio Sasaki cast his eye over the next generation of Nadeshiko players.

DPR Korea twice took the lead through Ri Ye-gong only for Rika Masuya and Ami Sugita to level for Japan before a late Ra Un-sim doubled sealed victory for the reigning champions.

“We played the way we had pictured in our minds but gave away two cheap goals near the end,” Japan’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup-winning coach told the Japan Times.

“That was a bit of a waste. They tricked us well but this is a good lesson for us.”

DPR Korea should have take a 23rd minute lead but Japan keeper Erina Yamane did well to keep out Kim Un-ju’s penalty, which was awarded after midfielder Mai Kyokawa was adjudged to have fouled North Korean skipper Ra in the area.

However, the defending champions did go into the interval at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium with the advantage after Ri got on the end of Yun Song-min’s 36th minute free-kick to slot the opening goal past Yamane.

DPR Korea’s lead lasted just four minutes into the second half when Masuya fired home into the top corner after collecting a free-kick from Megumi Kamionobe, one of the veterans of Japan’s Canada 2015 campaign, before Ri restored her side’s advantage in the 66th minute, with Ra setting up her team-mate’s second of the match following a well-worked move that began with Kim Yun-mi’s sublime pass.

Japan levelled four minute later when Sugita scored her first international goal but again parity was short-lived as Ra went from provider to scorer in the 79th minute before completing her brace and the 4-2 victory just two minutes later.

In Saturday’s later match at the same venue, Jung Seol-bin’s first-half strike was enough to ensure it was a Korean double on the opening day of the championship, with the 25-year-old Incheon Red Angels midfielder’s 27th minute strike enough for Korea Republic to defeat fellow 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup participants China 1-0.

afc.com

EAFF East Asian Cup - Watch live

The Insideworldfootball LIVE MATCH CHANNEL continues this weekend with the start of the EAFF East Asian Cup tournament from Wuhan, China. We have every match from both men's and women's competitions live. Japan, South Korea, China and North Korea are the qualified teams in both finals competitions. The women kick off Saturday August 1 with North Korea against World Cup finalists Japan, followed by China vs South Korea (http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football/eaff-womens). The men kick off the following day with North Korea vs Japan and China vs South Korea (http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football). 

Japan are the red hot favourites to retain their women's title after making it to this year's FIFA World Cup Final in Canada, before losing to the US. All their World Cup stars are in action. This is the fifth edition of the women's championship.

In the men's competition Japan will also start favourites to retain their crown won in 2013. But South Korea are returning to form, and football in a re-emerging Chinese market with big money players and expectations to match will make for a tense schedule.

These are pay per view events and cost $9.95 for 24-hour access, or $19.95 for the full tournament. Note, some territories are geo-blocked. In these countries please check your local broadcaster schedules for channels and match timings.

The match schedules are:

August 1 – women
11.20 BST - North Korea vs Japan
14.00 BST - China vs South Korea

August 2 – men
11.20 BST - North Korea vs Japan
14.00 BST - China vs South Korea

August 4 – women
11.20 BST - Japan vs South Korea
14.00 BST - China vs North Korea

August 5 - men
11.20 BST - Japan vs South Korea
14.00 BST - China vs North Korea

August 8 – women
10.10 BST – South Korea vs North Korea
14.10 BST - China vs Japan

August 9 - men
10.10 BST – South Korea vs North Korea
14.10 BST - China vs Japan

For the women's matches go to http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football/eaff-womens

For the men's matches go to http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football/17547-watch-the-eaff-east-asian-cup-live-here-china-japan-south-korea-and-north-korea?utm_content=bufferc06eb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

YouTube : North Korea - Uzbekistan 4-2. 북한 - 우즈베키스탄 4-2. Goals. World Cup Qualifiers 16/6/2015

FIFA World Cup qualifier : DPR Korea vs Uzbekistan

FIFA World Cup qualifier


DPR Korea 4-0 Uzbekistan HT



http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=275171/match=300317529/index.html

YouTube : Yemen 0-1 DPR Korea (Full match)

FIFA U-20 World Cup : Brazil 3-0 DPR Korea

Christchurch: DPR Korea bowed out of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup after three second-half goals saw the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship runners-up go down 3-0 to Brazil in their third and final fixture in New Zealand on Sunday.

The North Koreans had kept out a dominant Brazil up until the hour mark when the unfortunate Min Hyo-song deflected the ball into his own net before Jean Carlos doubled the Selecao Sub-20s advantage just six minutes later.

And with four minutes left on the clock Leo Pereira made it 3-0 for the five-time champions, who advance to the Round of 16 as Group E winners with a 100% record, while DPR Korea prop up the table following prior defeats to Hungary (5-1) and second-place Nigeria (4-0).

Looking to avoid another heavy defeat, DPR Korea coach An Ye-gun went with an understandably defensive set up and largely restricted the superior South Americans to efforts from distance.

The East Asians’ resilience finally cracked in the 60th minute when – having earlier ridden their luck with Kim Kuk-chol clearing Malcom’s shot off the line before Guilherme struck the post and then Judivan blazing over with the goal at his mercy – conceded in unfortunate circumstances.

Jaja attempted a pile-driver from some 35-yards out and the Flamengo midfielder’s effort took a wicked deflection off of the luckless April 25 defender that gave no chance to Ri In-hak in the Korean goal.

Brazil doubled their lead six minutes later through second-half substitute Jean Carlos, with some nimble footwork from the Real Madrid man leading to an assured finish past Amrokgang keeper Ri before Leo Pereira headed home the third in the 86th minute as DPR Korea became the third Asian side to exit the tournament without a single point following a disappointing campaigns from Asian champions Qatar and tournament debutants Myanmar.

“We have gained a lot of experience here in New Zealand,” DPR Korea coach An reflected after a campaign that saw the young Chollima concede 12 times over their three matches in New Zealand.

“The Asian style of football is completely different to the one in Europe and South America. This was an important lesson for my players. What is still missing for us compared to the top teams? The individual skills! We will work hard in the future, especially in the defence, too. Hopefully we will see some of these players at a full World Cup at some point in the next few years.

Photo: FIFA/Getty Images

http://www.the-afc.com/dpr-korea-fifa-u-20-world-cup-2015/fifa-u-20-world-cup-brazil-3-0-dpr-korea

Friendly May 20 : Thailand 0-1 DPR Korea

Friendly : Vietnam 1-1 DPR Korea

Friendly 17. May : Vietnam vs DPR Korea

North Korea friendly cancelled

The proposed friendly match between Bangladesh and North Korea scheduled for May 14 in Dhaka has been cancelled, informed a Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) official yesterday.

It has been learnt that the agents who had come up with the proposal -- the Celebrity Management Group and the Pan Asia -- have conveyed the message to the BFF, citing 'logistical issues' for the cancellation of the match.

“The match is not taking place. Today the agents informed us that the North Korean team can't come in such a short time. They have also said that the team has reservations about the logistical support that the team might get” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, adding that the letter did not mention whether the lack of logistical support originated from the agents' side or the team's.

The BFF had reportedly received the proposal during the AFC Congress in Bahrain on April 28 through the agents, who had asked the BFF to arrange for the venue while promising to bear all the expenditures of the North Korean team including air fare, food and accommodation. The BFF had, after further discussions at home, agreed to the agents' proposal of hosting the match in Dhaka on May 14.

http://www.thedailystar.net/sports/north-korea-friendly-cancelled-80674

DRAW: RUSSIA 2018 / UAE 2019 JOINT QUALIFICATION ROUND 2

Kuala Lumpur: Asia's 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup hopefuls learned their fate on Tuesday when the draw for the second round draw of continental joint qualifiers was held in the Malaysian capital.

Some 40 sides were placed in eight groups of five teams each for the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Draw:

Group A: 1. UAE 2. Saudi Arabia 3. Palestine 4. Timor-Leste 5. Malaysia 

Group B: 1. Australia 2. Jordan 3. Tajikistan 4. Kyrgyzstan 5. Bangladesh

Group C: 1. China 2. Qatar 3. Maldives 4. Bhutan 5. Hong Kong

Group D: 1. Iran 2. Oman 3. India 4. Turkmenistan 5. Guam

Group E: 1. Japan 2. Syria 3. Afghanistan 4. Singapore 5. Cambodia

Group F: 1. Iraq 2. Vietnam 3. Thailand 4. Indonesia 5. Chinese Taipei

Group G: 1. Korea Republic 2. Kuwait 3. Lebanon 4. Myanmar 5. Laos

Group H: 1. Uzbekistan 2. Bahrain 3. Philippines 4. DPR Korea 5. Yemen

What Next:

The teams will compete according to a double round robin format, and the Round 2 qualification matches will be held from June 11, 2015 to March 29, 2016.

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup finals.

Fixture Schedule:

Matchday 1 – June 11, 2015 = 3 v 2 and 5 v 4
Matchday 2 – June 16, 2015 = 4 v1 and 5 v 3
Matchday 3 – September 3, 2015 = 1 v 5 and 2 v 4
Matchday 4 – September 8, 2015 = 5 v 2 and 3 v1
Matchday 5 – October 8, 2015 = 4 v 3 and 2 v 1
Matchday 6 – October 13, 2015 = 2 v 3 and 4 v 5
Matchday 7 – November 12, 2015 = 1 v 4 and 3 v 5
Matchday 8 – November 17, 2015 = 5 v 1 and 4 v 2
Matchday 9 – March 24, 2016 = 2 v 5 and 1 v 3
Matchday 10 – Match 29, 2016 = 3 v 4 and 1 v 2

source : afc.com

AFC U23 Qualifiers : DPR Korea 4-0 Philippines

Bangkok: DPR Korea started their AFC U-23 Championship 2016 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over the Philippines at the Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand on Friday.

Ra Pong-gi’s side led the match 2-0 at the break before two substitutes added two more goals after the interval in the Group G game.

Ri Hyong-jin opened the scoring on 17 minutes before So Kyong-jin doubled the lead with a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time.

Jang Ok-chol, who came off the bench to replace Ho Myong-chol on 57 minutes, made it 3-0 five minutes later.

Pak Hyon-il, substitute for Mun Hyok on 14 minutes, scored the North Koreans’ fourth and final goal on 80 minutes.

DPR Korea will next play Cambodia while the Jim Fraser-led Philippines will take on hosts Thailand on Sunday.

Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, with January’s 16-team competition also serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio.

afc.com

DPR Korea U22 friendlies - Updated results

Friday 6. March Jordan 2-2 DPR Korea

Monday 9. March Jordan 3-1 DPR Korea

Wednesday 11. March : Saudi Arabia 2-1 DPR Korea

Friday 13. March : Saudi Arabia 0-1 DPR Korea




AFC U23 Championship qualifiers in Bangkok :


27. March : DPR Korea - Philippines

29. March : DPR Korea - Thailand

31. March : DPR Korea - Cambodia

UAE Olympic lads blank North Korean counterparts

Dubai 

The UAE Olympic national team edged North Korea 2-0 in a friendly at the Kalba Stadium on Wednesday. The match is part of the Whites’ buildup for the upcoming AFC U-23 Cup qualifiers scheduled to be held at the same venue from March 27 to 31.

Mohammed Hussain struck for the home team in the 89th minute and Sultan Saif doubled the score-line in the injury time.

The UAE assistant coach Noruddin Al Abidi said he’s quite satisfied with the good start pointing out that it was a real test against a team of good repute as winners of the silver medal of the recent Asian Games.

“We opted to try all the players who were called for the gathering to assess their true respective forms and to what extent they have absorbed the directives and guidance of their new head coach Dr. Abdulla Misfer.

“It’s great news that the outcome was promising and the result is acceptable for us. But, most importantly, the strong fight spirit stood revealed. The players have definitely benefited from the five-day short training camp and we are confident that they are capable of doing better in the near future and show the best of them,” he added.

“We have enough time to increase the tempo and hopefully we will be able to implement all our way of thinking to fine-tune the squad for the tough mission ahead. There’s too much work to be done and more to come from the boys,” he said.

UAE website

AFC U23 Championship qualifiers - North Korea playing two friendlies

North Korea U22 NT playing two friendlies against Saudi Arabia U22 on 11 and 13 March in UAE.

North Korea U22 preparing for AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers (Olympics qualifiers) in Thailand later in March.

DPR KOREA TO TINKER WITH PERSONELL IN SEARCH OF ELUSIVE WIN

Canberra: Coach Jo Tong-sop vowed to change both personnel and strategies in search of already-eliminated DPR Korea’s first AFC Asian Cup win in 35 years when they take on Group B winners China at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.

DPR Korea exited the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 after a 4-1 defeat by three-time winners Saudi Arabia in Melbourne on Wednesday following an opening 1-0 loss to 2011 fourth-placed side Uzbekistan.

Although both teams’ places in Group B have already been decided - China as group winners and DPR Korea finishing in fourth regardless of the result in Australia’s capital - Jo (pictured, left) will look to finish his campaign with three points, thereby improving upon the Chollima’s performance in the 2011 edition when they were eliminated from the group stages after picking up a single point.

“For the next match there will be a slight change in formation and the selection list to get the best possible result in this tournament,” said Jo, who was also in charge of the national team during the AFC Asian Cup four years ago.

“The match against Uzbekistan I think we lost because we did not anticipate correctly their attack down the wings, our defence was not prepared for that.

“And against Saudi Arabia, the players were too excited once they conceded the second goal and did not defend properly. That is the main reason we were tactically defeated.

“I don’t want to blame the players; my leadership, my instructions, my plans and projects were not good enough. Training and playing tactics for the match was not perfect; I think that was the reason for the losses.”

Neighbours and Sunday’s opponents China are currently on an upward curve, though, having qualified for the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 2004.

And Jo knows that his side will be in for a tough challenge should they wish to gain a first continental championship win since the 1980 tournament.

“I watched the two games of China and the Chinese team is good in terms of physical fitness and they are technically and tactically prepared well. The combination and leadership of the coach is very good, I think,” said Jo.

“I don’t feel any difference between this (match) and previous matches. As we did in the last matches we do our best to show our full skill, there is no difference.

“Like the other teams, we also wanted to prove our skills when we prepared for the tournament and it did not work out very well.

“After this tournament when we get back to our homes we will analyse the matches and what was lacking and what has to be covered, everything, and we will find out the way to improve it.”

afc.com

AFC Asian Cup : DPR Korea 1-4 Saudi Arabia

Jo still optimistic after DPR Korea loss

Sydney: DPR Korea coach Jo Tong-sop believes his team can still advance to the last eight of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 despite losing 1-0 in their opening game against Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia on Saturday.

Igor Sergeev scored the only goal of the game to give Uzbekistan the perfect start to their campaign while leaving DPR Korea chasing victory in their next game against Saudi Arabia to reignite their challenge for a place in the knockout rounds.

“For this match today we really wanted to win, but I thought that the Uzbekistan team was very good and they showed their ability,” said Jo, who led his nation at the finals of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

“For our team, I don’t think we showed our ability to the fullest today and if we had done a little better we could have won.
“We still have two more matches in the group stages, so we still have a chance (to reach the quarter-finals) and we don’t want to miss it.

“Many of the teams here are very strong, stronger than us. We will have to concentrate all our power on each and every match because that’s the only way for us to overcome each stage of the competition.”

DPR Korea were second-best for much of the game, but a last-ditch header from Pak Kwang-ryong almost earned Jo’s team a point only for Ignatiy Nesterov to deny the Liechtenstein-based striker with a reflex save that kept the scores level.

“In the last minute, I thought we were really unfortunate but the result is the result,” said Jo.
“We would like to convert our chances and go forward and attack a little bit more, because then we could create more chances than we did this time.”

Jo conceded that his defensive tactics were unable to yield the result he had hoped for when selecting his team.
“Before the match we had planned to concentrate on defending and then counter-attack to score and win the game,” he said. “But even though in the middle of the match, we gave away one goal, I still wanted to keep this strategy but it didn’t work very well."  

http://www.afcasiancup.com/news/en/jo-still-optimistic-after-dpr-korea-loss/obnfbonecl061non6d7ny0ioz              

AFC Asian Cup : DPR Korea 0-1 Uzbekistan

North Koreans keeping to themselves ahead of Asian Cup

By Darren Walton

Ambitious North Korea are hoping to win every game at the Asian Cup - but it's unclear how.

Like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's football team are a somewhat secretive lot.

Ranked 150th in the world, the Chollima only arrived in Australia on Tuesday, giving themselves just three-and-a-half days to acclimatise and prepare for their tournament opener against Uzbekistan at ANZ Stadium.

Refusing to speak to the media, let alone divulge tactics, coach Jo Tong-sop and the 22-man North Korean squad - featuring 18 home-based players - dashed straight to the privacy of their hotel rooms after being greeted in Sydney with a traditional indigenous dance.

Tight-lipped media manager Choe Nam-hyok said he was unsure how much support, if any, the side would receive in Australia, but hoped to pick up a few fans during the tournament.

They can probably bank on some support from the Macarthur under-10s, who made the trek from western Sydney on Tuesday to greet the North Koreans while proudly holding up the country's national flag outside the team hotel.

It is unknown if North Korea's Dear Leader Kim Jong-un will attend any games - or even be in Australia - for the tournament.

Asked about the side's hopes for the Asian Cup, Choe smiled and said: "To win every game."

Such hopes seem fanciful for the lowest-ranked team in the tournament and for a country that last won a match at an Asian Cup in 1980.

North Korea, though, did qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, even if they only managed to score one goal while conceding a dozen in three heavy defeats.

Pooled in Group B alongside China, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, their first-up rivals won't be taking them lightly on Saturday.

Star defender Vitaliy Denisov, who plies his trade for Lokomotiv Moscow, said Uzbekistan, while hoping to go all the way to the final, held great respect for North Korea.

Denisov said the threat of the unknown worried the White Wolves the most.

"We played against them before," he said. "We won two games with the minimum score - 1-0 - and we heard they now have a new coach and new players, many changes in the team."

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/afc-asian-cup/north-koreans-keeping-to-themselves-ahead-of-asian-cup-20150106-12itci.html