The South Korean U-16 women's soccer team has secured its place in the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup after winning all three matches in the qualifying round.
On October 11, the team defeated Jordan 9-0 in their final qualifying match at the Tursunzoda Central Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Under the guidance of former coach Lee Da-young, the team previously triumphed over the United Arab Emirates 16-0 and the host nation Tajikistan 6-0. They scored a total of 31 goals in the three matches without conceding any, finishing first in their group.
According to Yonhap News, forward Jo An (Ulsan Hyundai High School) achieved a hat trick in the match against Jordan, with six players contributing to the scoring. The team maintained control from the start, applying pressure on their opponents while keeping a solid defense to secure a shutout victory.
A total of 30 teams participated in the qualifiers, divided into eight groups. The top eight teams from each group, along with North Korea, Japan, Australia, and China—who reached the semifinals of this year's Asian Cup—will compete in the U-17 Women's Asian Cup next April in China.
If the South Korean team finishes in the top four of the Asian Cup, they will earn a spot in the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. The team failed to qualify for the World Cup after being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup held in May. There is keen interest in whether the team can secure a World Cup berth following their dominant performance in the qualifiers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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