Wonderkid Kim key to DPR Korea title defence

Published on: 27 July 2018

Pyongyang: DPR Korea will look to Kim Kyong-yong as one of their key sources of goals after the 16-year-old was named in their final squad for next month's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France.

The teenager is set to fill the shoes of 2017 AFC Women's Player of the Year Nominee Sung Hyang-sim, who provided six goals in qualifying for the U-20 Women's World Cup but is now expected to be a key part of the senior national team's Asian Games campaign, also in August.

A dominant MVP Award winner at last year's AFC U-16 Women's Championship in Thailand with nine goals in five matches, Kyong-yong has been drafted into the U-20 setup, and starred in DPR Korea's successful warm up tournament in the Chinese city of Duyun last month.


The Naegoyhyang Sports Club forward scored five goals in a 7-0 win over Thailand and added two more in a 5-0 triumph over fellow France 2018 qualifiers China PR.

Long-time coach Hwang Yong-bong is back at the helm of the side after serving as an assistant to German head coach Thomas Gerstner as DPR Korea finished second behind Japan at the 2017 AFC U-19 Women's Championship which served as the U-20 Women's World Cup qualifying tournament.

However, Hwang's team will be vastly different to the one that qualified. Just nine of the 23 members of Gerstner's side have been selected for the trip to France, with many of the stars of the AFC U-19 campaign having graduated to the senior team.

DPR Korea have previously won the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2006 and 2016, and further success in this year's edition would bring them level with the United States and Germany as the tournament's most successful nations.

Their campaign begins against England on August 5, before further Group B fixtures against Mexico and Brazil.

Meanwhile, defender Tian Yunlang and midfielder Lu Yu are the two unlucky players to miss selection for China PR's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squad.

The pair had been named in head coach Peter Bonde's provisional squad of 23, but were removed as the travelling party was reduced to a final list of 21 players.

Photos: AFC, FIFA via Getty Images

DPR Korea Squad - FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018

Source: the-afc.com

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