SUWON, South Korea, May 23 (Reuters) - North Korea's Naegohyang won the Asian Women's Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan in the final on Saturday in Suwon, South Korea, with forward Kim Kyong-Yong netting the only goal of the match.
Naegohyang, who arrived in Suwon last Sunday and beat the hometown team 2-1 in the semi-finals on Wednesday, are the first North Korean athletes to visit the South in eight years.
The rare visit comes as North Korea has in recent years labelled the South its “most hostile state” and ruled out reuniting the nation split by the 1950-1953 Korean War.
In the final, Tokyo Verdy struggled to deal with their opponents' pace and intensity throughout the contest at the Suwon Sports Complex and were repeatedly carved open by counter-attacks, one of which led to Naegohyang's goal.
Naegohyang scored on the cusp of halftime after attacker Jong Kum surged forward and outmuscled Tokyo Verdy defender Yuna Aoki on the left wing before sending in a cross for Kim, who netted with a deft finish in the 44th minute.
Tokyo Verdy desperately chased an equaliser in the second half, but the Japanese side were unable to break down a disciplined Naegohyang defence and failed to record a single shot on target.
The Asian Women's Champions League, which had its inaugural season in 2024-25, offers prize money of $1,000,000 to champions.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
