Korea U-16 women beat UAE 16-0 in U-17 Asian Cup qualifier opener
In short
South Korea's under-16 women's team opened its 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 16-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 5 October (Korean time). Kim Hee-jin scored seven goals, including a hat-trick inside the first 30 minutes, and Ko Ji-eun added four. The team, coached by Lee Da-young, plays Tajikistan on 9 October and Jordan on 11 October.
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South Korea's under-16 women's team beat the United Arab Emirates 16-0 on 5 October (Korean time) in its opening Group A match of the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, Yonhap reported. The match was played at the Tursunzoda Central Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Newsis reported the same 16-0 scoreline in its headline. [ 1 , 2 ]
Kim Hee-jin of Ulsan Hyundai High School scored seven goals, completing a hat-trick within 30 minutes of the start, and Ko Ji-eun, also of Ulsan Hyundai High School, scored four, according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
The team is coached by Lee Da-young, a former Korea Football Association coach, and plays Tajikistan on 9 October and Jordan on 11 October in its remaining group matches, Yonhap reported. [ 1 ]
Thirty teams entered the qualifiers and were divided into eight groups, with each group winner advancing, according to Yonhap. Those eight teams will be joined by the four semifinalists from this year's Asian Cup — North Korea, Japan, Australia and China — to form a 12-team field at the finals in China next April. A top-four finish at the finals secures a place at the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. [ 1 ]
South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup finals held in May and missed out on this year's World Cup, Yonhap reported. Newsis's article text did not cover the match at all; it concerned Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's testimony at a National Assembly audit and contained no football details. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The win starts Korea's campaign to reach the finals in China next April, where a top-four finish would secure a place at the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Korea missed this year's World Cup after losing in the quarterfinals of the May Asian Cup finals. It is a youth qualifying fixture with limited relevance outside Korea.
Key facts
- South Korea's U-16 women's team beat the United Arab Emirates 16-0 in its opening Group A match of the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim Hee-jin of Ulsan Hyundai High School scored seven goals and completed a hat-trick within 30 minutes of the start. [ 1 ]
- Ko Ji-eun, also of Ulsan Hyundai High School, scored four goals. [ 1 ]
- The team is coached by Lee Da-young, a former Korea Football Association coach. [ 1 ]
- Korea plays Tajikistan on 9 October and Jordan on 11 October in the remaining group matches. [ 1 ]
- Thirty teams entered the qualifiers in eight groups, with the eight group winners joining the four semifinalists of this year's Asian Cup — North Korea, Japan, Australia and China — in the 12-team finals in China next April. [ 1 ]
- Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the May Asian Cup finals and failed to reach this year's World Cup. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- South Korea's U-16 women's team beat the United Arab Emirates 16-0 in the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim Hee-jin scored seven goals and Ko Ji-eun scored four in the match. [ 1 ]
- Korea's remaining group matches are against Tajikistan on 9 October and Jordan on 11 October. [ 1 ]
Still unclear
- Newsis's report of the match could not be read in full. Its article text dealt with Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's testimony at a National Assembly audit and did not match its football headline, so only the headline supports the result.
- Why the team is described as under-16 while the competition is named under-17 is not explained. Yonhap refers to both the U-16 women's team and the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers without stating the reason for the difference.
- Match details beyond the scoreline and the two leading scorers were not reported. Only one document carried match specifics; goal times for the other scorers, attendance and other details are absent.