메이저사이트North Korea’s men’s soccer team appeared in an international competition for the first time in five years. They got off to a good start by winning the first game.
North Korea, led by coach Shin Yong-nam, won 2-0 against Chinese Taipei in the first match of the men’s soccer Group F group stage of the Hangzhou Asian Games held at the Zhejiang Normal University Stadium in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China on the 19th.
North Korea has been implementing border blockade measures since 2020 to prevent the COVID-19 situation from becoming more serious. The 2018 Jakarta-Palembang competition was the last. He also did not participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 due to COVID-19.
At the time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took issue with North Korea’s behavior in failing to participate in the Tokyo Olympics and suspended the country from participating in IOC-hosted competitions. North Korea also failed to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This disciplinary action was lifted on December 31 of last year.
North Korea, appearing at an international competition for the first time in five years, won the first game. They used the 4-4-2 formation and played attacking soccer that overwhelmed the opponent from the start. Lee Jo-guk scored the first goal in the 7th minute of the first half.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Kim Kook-jin received a cross and scored an additional goal to make it 2-0. North Korea set the tone and did not allow a goal until the end, securing victory.
On this day, North Korea was accompanied by a beautiful female cheering squad, helping the team win. When North Korea scored, they raised their arms in joy.
North Korea was in Group F along with Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan, and Indonesia in this tournament. The second group match will be played against Kyrgyzstan on the 21st.