Naegohyang becomes first N. Korean club to win Asian women's football title
By Kim Hee-suPosted : May 23, 2026, 16:15Updated : May 23, 2026, 16:15
Naegohyang FC captain Kim Kyong-yong celebrates with teammates after scoring in the AFC Women’s Champions League final on May 23, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan on Saturday to win the Asian women’s club football title.
Naegohyang beat Tokyo Verdy 1-0 in the final of the 2025-26 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL) at Suwon Sports Complex, with captain Kim Kyong-yong scoring the winner in the 44th minute.
The victory made Naegohyang the first North Korean team to win the tournament and will also receive $1 million in prize money.
The AWCL, Asia’s top women’s club football competition, was officially launched in the 2024-25 season.
Naegohyang FC captain Kim Kyong-yong celebrates with teammates after scoring in the AFC Women’s Champions League final on May 23, 2026. Yonhap
Naegohyang FC reached the final after defeating South Korea’s Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals at the same venue on Wednesday, also thanks to a decisive goal by Kim.
The visit marked the first trip by North Korean football players to South Korea since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. It was also the first visit to South Korea by a North Korean women’s football club team.