North Korean women's team win Asian Champions League title in South Korea

Naegohyang Women’s FC won the Asian Women’s Champions League final 1-0 against Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza in Suwon. The team scored just before halftime through captain Kim Kyong Yong. The victory capped a rare visit to South Korea after an eight-year gap for a North Korean sports team. Naegohyang, founded in 2012, had beaten Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals earlier in the week. The final featured hard tackles but was played in a fair spirit, with players hugging at the final whistle. The win means participation in next year’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. Ticket demand for the semifinal was intense, and South Korean civic groups supported the team despite limited official North Korean supporters.

"Naegohyang Women's FC beat Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 amid rare visit to South Korea to play in tournament. The first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years crowned their trip by winning the Asian Women's Champions League, beating Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final. Naegohyang Women's FC lifted the trophy on Saturday thanks to captain Kim Kyong Yong's goal just before half-time in the South Korean city of Suwon."

"Naegohyang, founded in 2012 and whose name means My Hometown in Korean, beat Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals at the same Suwon stadium earlier this week in a rare North-South match-up. The North Koreans edged Tokyo in a final that featured plenty of hard tackles but was played in a fair spirit. The players hugged each other at the final whistle, and coach Ri Yu Il sat on the bench and wept with joy."

"Interest in Naegohyang's visit to the South has been intense, and 7,087 general admission tickets for their semifinal against Suwon sold out within hours. Tickets for the final were still available shortly before kickoff, and swaths of empty seats could be seen in the stadium. There were no official Naegohyang supporters because North Koreans are generally not allowed into the South, and the two countries have technically remained at war since 1950."

"Naegohyang's win means they will appear in next year's FIFA Women's Champions Cup, which will feature teams from around the world. Women's football is one of North Korea's strongest international sports, with their national sides regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally."

Read at www.aljazeera.com