North Korea's Naegohyang head coach reacts sensitively: "What is a Korea-Japan match? The expression 'rough game' is not appropriate" [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Li Yu-il, head coach of North Korea's Naegohyang Women's Football Club, said ahead of the 2025-2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL) final, "Since we have reached the final, we must do our best." He also responded somewhat sensitively to some questions from domestic reporters.

At a pre-match press conference for the final against Tokyo Verdy held at Suwon Sports Complex on the 22nd, Coach Li said, "Both teams' best goal is to win the championship. The final match will be a good opportunity for our team to develop into a stronger and better team. It is a goal as important as winning the championship."

Earlier, Naegohyang advanced to the final after a 2-1 comeback victory over Suwon FC Women in the semi-finals held at Suwon Sports Complex on the 20th. The final opponent, Tokyo Verdy, advanced to the final by defeating Melbourne City (Australia) 3-1.

When asked by Korean reporters, "The final is expected to be as rough as a Korea-Japan match. How have you prepared?" Li Yu-il responded, "What is a Korea-Japan match?" and asked the interpreter to clarify the question. The domestic reporters then had to explain that a match between Korea and Japan is called a Korea-Japan match.

Li Yu-il then replied sensitively, saying, "I heard that some players from the opposing team described the match as 'rough.' I am curious about what exactly the meaning of 'rough game' is."

Coach Li added, "In football, there is always a referee. If it is a foul, it is a foul; if it is a caution, it is a caution. I do not understand the meaning of 'rough game.' Before answering, I believe the expression itself is inappropriate. We will do our best within the limits allowed by the match regulations, just as we did in the semi-finals."

Kim Kyung-yeong, who attended the press conference with Li, said, "The team we will face in Daejeon is strong, but if we manage the game well, we can achieve good results. We have accumulated significant experience through the matches so far. In this match, we will use our strong mental strength to become the winners."

The final between Naegohyang Football Club and Tokyo Verdy will be held at Suwon Sports Complex at 2 p.m. on the 23rd. The championship prize is 1 million dollars (approximately 1.52 billion won), and the runner-up prize is 500,000 dollars (approximately 760 million won).

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*This content was translated by AI.