To face their "nemesis" North Korea and the "powerhouse" China of all things... Women's soccer team aiming for historic first Olympic appearance faces a "thorny path" from the qualifiers

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A difficult road lies ahead for the South Korean women's national soccer team as it aims to qualify for the Olympic main tournament for the first time in history. In the Asian final qualifiers, they have been drawn into a group with their most formidable opponents, including "nemesis" North Korea and China.

The Korea Football Association announced on the 12th that, following the draw for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics women's soccer Asian final qualifiers held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, South Korea was placed in Group B alongside North Korea, China, and the Philippines.

This draw was conducted based on pot assignments determined by the October International Football Federation (FIFA) rankings. Japan (5th) and North Korea (12th) were assigned to Pot 1; Australia (15th) and South Korea (17th) to Pot 2; China (18th) and Taiwan (38th) to Pot 3; and the Philippines (39th) and Uzbekistan (51st) to Pot 4.

Within this pot structure, South Korea effectively received the worst possible draw. After encountering the troublesome North Korea from Pot 1, they were also paired with powerhouse China in Pot 3, avoiding weaker Taiwan. The difference in difficulty is stark when compared to the draw for Group A (Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan), which includes the relatively manageable Taiwan.

The final qualifiers will feature the eight teams that reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup. The matches will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format (six matches per team) divided into two groups during the A-match windows in April, October, and November-December 2027.

Starting with the LA Games, the number of participating countries has increased to 16, expanding Asia's allocation to 2.5 berths. The top two teams from each qualifying group will advance directly to the main tournament. The two second-place teams will compete in home-and-away playoffs (PO) on February 28 and March 4, 2028, with the winner facing South America's Argentina in an intercontinental PO to contest for the remaining spot.

The objective head-to-head record is a burden. In all-time matchups, South Korea holds a significant disadvantage against North Korea with one win, five draws, and 16 losses, and against China with five wins, 10 draws, and 29 losses.

However, recent form has been positive. The national team led by head coach Shin Sang-woo drew 1-1 with North Korea in the group stage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held in September-October, and defeated China 1-0 in the bronze medal match.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original