Showing posts with label 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. Show all posts

19 March 2012

North Korea qualify for 2015 Asian Cup

North Korea qualified for 2015 Asian Cup by beating Turkmenistan 2-1 in the final of 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

16 March 2012

AFC Challenge Cup : North Korea in final

North Korea beat Palestine 2-0 in semifinal in AFC Challenge Cup in Npeal.

Live commentary Goalnepal


North Korea face Turkmenistan in final, Palestine face Philippines in third place match

15 March 2012

Mahmoud : No fear of defending champions

Kathmandu: A meeting with defending champions DPR Korea holds no fear for confident Palestine coach Jamal Mahmoud as the first-time semi-finalists look to end the East Asians' perfect record on Friday.

DPR Korea are the overwhelming favourites for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup title and they have advanced through the tournament with ruthless efficiency, scoring eight times and conceding none to comfortably book their place in the final four.

But these statistics mean little for Mahmoud (pictured), who has set his sights on nothing less than a victory for the history-making Palestinians.

"We must show great respect to DPR Korea as they have played at the last World Cup," said the Jordanian, who will be without suspended midfielder Husam Wadi.

"We know how they play and we know it will be a tough match but we are here to win this championship.

"We have watched their games and we have our strategy and we are confident that we will win."

DPR Korea head coach Yun Jong-su has also been doing his homework and in keeping with the ruthless efficiency that has seen the Chollima easily defeat the Philippines (2-0), Tajikistan (2-0) and India (4-0), he succinctly summed up his thoughts on Friday's semi-final at the pre-match press conference.

"We have seen the matches of Palestine and have analysed their tactics and will implement our strategy accordingly."


afc.com

11 March 2012

AFC Challenge Cup - DPR Korea 2-0 Tajikistan

Kathmandu: DPR Korea confirmed their place in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup semi-finals by defeating Tajikistan 2-0 on Sunday with a performance that justified the defending champions' status as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

A goal in each half from Pak Nam-chol and Jang Kuk-chol gave Yun Jong Su's side their second 2-0 victory of the campaign following their opening win over the Philippines.

Tajikistan overcame a sluggish first-half to defeat India 2-0 in their opening match and gain a modicum of payback for their defeat in the 2008 final in their opening match and again the Tajiks were also slow out of the blocks at the start of an entertaining first-half.

Cheered on by a small, but impressively noisy, band of supporters the North Koreans took a sixth minute lead when Pak Nam-chol was given too much time and space by the Tajikistan defence, allowing the midfielder to fire low past keeper Alisher Tuychiev.

DPR Korea dominated the opening exchanges and saw Pak Song-chol's powerful volley blocked on its way to the goal three minutes later before goal-scorer Pak flashed an effort wide after a neat flick from Jang Myong-il on the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

A minute later it was the Tajiks turn to threaten when a Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev strike hit the underside of the crossbar before the ball was eventually hacked away following a goalmouth scramble.

With 30 minutes gone Alexey Negmatov's foul on Jon Kwang-ik gave the Koreans a free-kick on the left which was curled invitingly to the back post where Pak Song-chol's header drew a point-blank save from Tuychiev.

DPR Korea could have gone into the interval with a two-goal cushion but Pak Song-chol's was off target with an acrobatic effort after connecting with Pak Nam-chol's miscued attempt to chip the keeper three minutes before the break.

Eight minutes after the restart an unmarked Jong Il-gwan should have extended DPR Korea's lead but misplaced his downward header before the forward's drive from a tight angle was blocked by Tuychiev a minute later.

Substitute Jang Kuk-chol had the ball in the net in the 67th minute but Kuwait referee Yousef Al Marzouq ruled out the effort for what appeared to be a foul on the Tajik keeper.

After displaying some nimble footwork Jong Il-gwan had another effort at goal but his low effort in the 73rd minute flashed wide of the right upright before the North Korean got the second their performance deserved when Jang Kuk-chol overcame a poor first touch to create space and beat Tuychiev from inside the penalty are with four minutes left on the clock.


afc.com

09 March 2012

DPR Korea 2-0 Philippines

Kathmandu: Defending Champions DPR Korea made a solid start to their 2012 AFC Challenge Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 defeat of the Philippines in Friday's Group B opener at the Halchowk Stadium.

DPR Korea dominated the first-half but were denied a 16th minute lead when Azkal's keeper Neil Etheridge saved a retaken Pak Song-chol penalty.

The midfielder had thought he had netted his ninth AFC Challenge Cup goal to equal the tournament record set by Palestine's Fahed Attal but Indian referee Pratap Singh ruled out the goal citing encroachment inside the box.

Etheridge, who only arrived in Nepal on Wednesday, was in inspired form denying the 2012 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on ne fewer than five occasions as the Philippines went into the break on level terms with the AFC Challenge Cup favourites.

The North Koreans finally broke through the resilient Philippines defence courtesy of Pak Nam-chol's 58th minute header before Etheridge - an understudy to Australia international Mark Schwarzer at English Premier League club Fulham - failed to deal with a high cross from the right, allowing substitute Jang Kuk-chol to double the defending champions' lead 11 minutes later.

DPR Korea sought to add to their tally and laid siege on the Philippines goal but a combination of some staunch defending and fine keeping from Etheridge kept the scoreline respectable.

source : the-afc.com



Match summary : link

08 March 2012

AFC Challenge Cup update

The defending champions, meanwhile, have been gearing up nicely the defence of their crown and having experienced direct entry into the 2011 AFC Asian Cup courtesy of their penalty shootout win over Turkmenistan in the final of the last AFC Challenge Cup, the experienced East Asians are determined to book their ticket to Australia 2015 via a similar passage.

"We have prepared well for this tournament and it is very important for us to get a berth in the next Asian Cup," said head coach Yun Jong-su, whose squad includes six players who were in the DPR Korea team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

"We had a training camp in Vietnam which went very well and we had a tough friendly with the Kuwait national team.

"We have a good team with confident players but we are in a tough group. Every team is trying to win the trophy so it's going to be a very hard tournament."


afc.com


First match against Philippines on Friday.