South Korea’s Kim Min-ji celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Myanmar in the women’s Group F match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.YONHAP
South Korea’s women’s football team cruised to a 5-0 win over Myanmar behind a hat trick from Kim Min-ji in its Asian Games opener.
South Korea, ranked 19th in the FIFA rankings, routed No. 55 Myanmar in its opening Group F match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Monday.
The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-place finishers, advance to the quarterfinals to continue their medal bids. South Korea is in Group F with Myanmar, North Korea and Bangladesh.
Myanmar is coached by Colin Bell, who led the South Korean women’s national team for four years and eight months through 2024. But the gulf between the two sides was clear, with South Korea dominating from the opening whistle.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Kim found the left side of the net. Four minutes later, Kim headed home a cross from Jang Sel-gi for her second goal.
South Korea’s Kim Min-ji scores a goal during the women’s Group F match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.YONHAP
Jang then got on the scoresheet herself in the 38th minute. After receiving a pass near the edge of the penalty area, Jang fired a low, driven shot between the defenders to secure a 3-0 halftime lead.
Three minutes into the second half, Choe Yu-ri won a penalty, but the spot kick struck the post. Kim completed her hat trick in the 59th minute, tapping in a cutback from Jang.
Son Hwa-yeon had another penalty saved in the 65th minute, but Choe later scored South Korea’s fifth and final goal.
South Korea will face Bangladesh in its second group match at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
North Korean players greet supporters after their 10-0 victory over Bangladesh in a Group F women’s football match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 14.NEWS1
North Korea, ranked 11th in the FIFA rankings, thrashed No. 107 Bangladesh 10-0 in another Group F match on Monday. North Korea moved ahead of South Korea into first place in the group on goal difference.
North Korea fielded many of the same players who featured in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Cup in March and scored seven goals in the first half alone. It converted 10 of its 21 shots, with seven different players finding the net as the team showcased a variety of attacking options.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
