The South Korea women's soccer team kicked off the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a commanding 5-0 victory over Myanmar, marking a strong start in their quest for a historic gold medal.
Under the guidance of head coach Shin Sang-woo, ranked 19th by FIFA, South Korea faced 55th-ranked Myanmar on September 14 at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan. Kim Min-ji's hat trick propelled the team to victory.
This match also drew attention as it featured a showdown against Myanmar's coach Colin Bell, who previously managed the South Korean team for four years until 2024.
South Korea seized control early in the match but struggled to convert opportunities against Myanmar's packed defense. The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Kim Min-ji deceived a defender near the penalty arc and scored with a left-footed shot.
Once the floodgates opened, goals followed quickly. In the 33rd minute, Kim Min-ji connected with a high header from a cross by Jang Seul-ki for the second goal. Just five minutes later, Jang Seul-ki scored herself with a low, quick shot from outside the penalty area, ending the first half with a 3-0 lead.
South Korea continued to press in the second half. In the 59th minute, Kim Min-ji completed her hat trick by calmly finishing a ground pass from Jang Seul-ki.
Despite missing two penalty kick opportunities later in the half, South Korea capped off their scoring in the 76th minute when Choi Yu-ri converted a one-on-one chance after receiving a long pass from the back, sealing the 5-0 victory.
In the same group, North Korea (ranked 11th) earlier defeated Bangladesh (107th) 10-0, showcasing their dominance with seven goals in the first half and converting 10 of 21 shots on target.
With both South Korea and North Korea earning three points in their opening matches, North Korea leads Group F on goal difference (+10) while South Korea follows in second place (+5). Myanmar and Bangladesh occupy the third and fourth spots, respectively.
The tournament format allows the top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, to advance to the quarterfinals.
South Korea will face Bangladesh in their second match on September 17, followed by a crucial showdown against North Korea on September 21 for the group lead.
The team's goal for this tournament is to secure their first-ever gold medal. Since women's soccer became an official event in the 1990 Beijing Games, South Korea has participated in nine tournaments but has never reached the finals. Their best results have been three consecutive bronze medals in 2010, 2014, and 2018. In the last tournament in Hangzhou, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by North Korea, losing 4-1.
The challenge is significant, as gold medals have been shared among China, North Korea, and Japan in the past nine tournaments.
Host nation Japan (ranked 5th) and China (16th) also displayed their strength in their opening matches. Japan, in Group E, defeated Thailand (49th) 8-0, while China triumphed over Hong Kong (81st) with a score of 5-1.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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