Ri Yu-il, the head manager who led North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC to victory in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League (AWCL), picked the semifinal match against Suwon FC Women as the toughest hurdle in their championship run.

In an interview with Choson Sinbo, a newspaper affiliated with the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) released today (July 31), Manager Ri said, "While the final seemed like the most memorable match, the hardest obstacle was actually the semifinal."


Naegohyang advanced to the final by narrowly defeating Suwon FC 2–1 in the tournament semifinal held at Suwon Comprehensive Stadium on May 20.

During the semifinal, which took place amid heavy rain, Suwon FC's shots hit the goalpost twice.

Even a missed penalty kick and other strokes of luck helped Naegohyang advance to the final.

In the final, reached after a hard-fought battle, Naegohyang claimed the title by defeating Japan's Tokyo Verdy 1–0.

Manager Ri stated that he has never lost in his four matches against South Korean teams so far.

Reflecting on that time regarding Suwon FC, he said, "It was the first time I encountered a team of such a high caliber. Furthermore, the match took place at the opponent's home stadium."

Manager Ri explained, "In any competition, the most difficult opponent is always the host country's team."

He continued, "Our players lack international match experience. Therefore, we anticipated various scenarios, made thorough preparations, and trained extensively. The efforts we poured into our preparation paid off in the actual matches."


When asked if any managers in the international football world have influenced him, he revealed his experiences exchanging with Guus Hiddink, who led the South Korean national team at the 2002 World Cup, stating, "I participated in overseas training courses where I met world-renowned managers like Jürgen Klopp and Guus Hiddink and shared stories based on experience."

Manager Ri shared that thanks to his mother engaging in foreign affairs, he was able to learn foreign languages from a young age.

He added, "I was able to comfortably converse in foreign languages with world-renowned managers like Guus Hiddink and Pep Guardiola."

Regarding future goals, he emphasized, "While maintaining our status as a powerhouse in Asia, we must get through the qualifiers for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2028 Club World Cup starting in October and advance to the final stage matches."

He added, "If that happens, it will be a major step forward not only for the Naegohyang team, but also for our (North Korean) football community and Asian football as a whole."

(Photo: Yonhap News)