'18-goal explosion' powerhouse North Korea to face off! South Korea's U-17 women's national team defeats Taiwan 4-0 to advance to the quarterfinals... Decisive match for Group 1 against North Korea

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean U-17 women's national football team, led by coach Lee Da-young, has secured an early spot in the Asian Cup quarterfinals. They will now face 'defending champions' North Korea in a North-South showdown to determine the group winner.

On the 5th, South Korea defeated Taiwan 4-0 in the Group C second match of the '2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Women's Asian Cup' held in Suzhou, China.

With this victory, South Korea extended its winning streak to two games, following a 5-0 win against the Philippines in the first match.

South Korea opened the scoring with an own goal by the opponent in the 36th minute of the first half and took control just two minutes later with an additional goal by Im Ji-hye (Ulsan Hyundai Cheongwoon Middle School). The team also showed strong stamina in the final moments of the second half. Kim Min-seo scored in the 37th minute of the second half, followed by Kim Hee-na (both from Ulsan Hyundai High School) in the 38th minute, sealing the victory with consecutive goals.

On the same day, North Korea also displayed formidable firepower, crushing the Philippines 8-0. This marked their second consecutive victory, following a 10-0 win against Taiwan in the first match.

North Korea is a strong contender for the championship in this tournament, having won the title four times in history. South Korea and North Korea, both having secured their spots in the quarterfinals, will face off on the 8th at the same venue to determine the group winner.

A total of 12 teams participated in this tournament, divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best-performing teams among the remaining teams, will advance to the quarterfinal tournament. Finishing in the top four will earn a spot in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, which will open in Morocco in October.

South Korea previously won the tournament in 2009 and finished third in the most recent 2024 edition.

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*This content was translated by AI.