Defending FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ champions Korea DPR have dazzled in the first phase of AFC qualification for the 2026 edition of the global finals, which is to be held in Poland.
Featuring a host of players that also claimed global honours at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ last year, the free-scoring Koreans were at their dominant best in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
Having dismantled Saudi Arabia 15-0 in their group opener, they put ten unanswered past the hosts in their second outing and then finished off with an 11-0 win over Nepal.
Jon Il-chong, winner of the adidas Golden Ball at Dominican Republic 2024, caught the eye in stepping up to the higher age category. Scorer of the winning penalty in the shootout a year ago, Kang Ryu-mi, also starred in bagging four goals in the qualifiers.
Japan, champions at Costa Rica 2014, breezed into next year’s AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup with three big wins over Guam, Malaysia and IR Iran. Another graduate from the U-17 Women’s World Cup side, Anon Tsuda, starred in the Group F fixtures in Kuala Lumpur. The forward, who lists both Salma Paralluelo and Taylor Swift as influences, struck in each of her nation’s wins in the Malaysian capital.
The continent’s other two representatives at Colombia 2024, Australia and Korea Republic, also progressed with little trouble.
Elsewhere, Bangladesh, China PR, Chinese Taipei, India, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam advanced to join hosts Thailand at the continental championship, to be played in April 2026. The top four nations will secure passage to Poland 2026.
Images courtesy of the AFC
