DPR Korea crush Nepal 11-0, qualify to U20 Women's Asian Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 11: Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2026 were shattered after a brutal 11-0 thrashing by defending champions DPR Korea on Sunday.

The East Asian giants booked their ticket to Thailand in emphatic fashion, topping Group A of the qualifiers held in Thimphu, Bhutan. DPR Korea finished the group stage with a perfect record—three wins from three, nine points, 36 goals scored, and none conceded.

Nepal, who had picked up four points from a win and a draw in their earlier matches, needed a result to stay in contention for one of the three best runners-up spots. But with other second-placed teams across six groups already sitting on six points, Nepal’s campaign came to a crashing halt.

According to AFC regulations, the eight group winners and the three best runners-up advance to the final tournament.

DPR Korea Run Riot

DPR Korea wasted no time asserting dominance, opening the scoring just three minutes in. Jon Il Chong broke the offside trap, latched onto Ri Kuk Hyang’s through ball, and squared it for Ho Kyong to tap in from close range.

Ho doubled the lead in the 12th minute with a cheeky lob over Nepali goalkeeper Lila Joshi, and completed her hat-trick in the 24th minute with a powerful header off a Ri Ye Gyong cross.

Nepal’s backline was in disarray as Ye Gyong nodded down a ball for an unmarked Ho to slot home in the 37th minute. Ho bagged her fifth of the match with another close-range header in the 41st minute, sending DPR Korea into halftime with a 5-0 lead.

There was no let-up after the break. Pak Ok I pounced on a rebound inside the box to make it six in the 48th minute. Choe Chong Gum added another from a corner in the 54th minute.

In the dying minutes, DPR Korea piled on the misery. Jong Pok Yong smashed in the eighth goal in the 88th minute, before stoppage time saw Choe Chong Gum (90+2, 90+5) and Pak Son Gyong (90+7) round off the rout.