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    22Nov, 2023
    ‘People’s Naldo’ Han Kwang-sung scores, Jung Il-kwan gets hat trick as North Korea thumps Myanmar 6-1

    North Korea secures its first A-match win in four years.

    The North Korean men’s national football team defeated Myanmar 6-1 away from home in the second Group B match of the 2026 FIFA North America Confederations Cup Asia Second Qualifying Round at the 스포츠토토 Thuunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on Monday.

    It was their first win in four years and two months. It was North Korea’s first win since a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka on Sept. 10, 2019, in their second Asian qualifying match for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. At the time, North Korea was drawn in Group H with South Korea and Sri Lanka, but withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    North Korea was then absent from international competition for a while, making its international debut at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where it competed with its age-group teams. The Women’s A team also returned to the international scene in the second round of qualifying for the North and Central American World Cup.

    Striker Jung Il-kwan scored a hat trick on the day. She opened the scoring in the 30th minute, then added goals in the ninth and 11th minutes of the second half to complete her hat trick. Han Kwang-sung, born in 1998 and a former Juventus star, scored the team’s third goal in the 38th minute to seal the victory.

    It was the first time in four years that Han Kwang-sung scored for the North Korean national team since November 2019 against Turkmenistan in the second Asian qualifier for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    North Korea dominated Myanmar in every statistical category, including shots and corner kicks. North Korea lost its first match against Syria 0-1 on Sept. 17, but the win on Sunday turned the tide and improved its chances of qualifying for the third round.

    22Nov, 2023
    Jung Seung-hyun partners with Kim Min-jae to score debut A-match goal

    Jung Seung-hyun (Ulsan Hyundai), who has established himself as the main defender for Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea men’s national soccer team, scored his first goal in an A-match.

    Klinsmann’s men rode a brace from Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and another from Jeong Seung-hyun to a 3-0 victory over China in their second Group C match of the 텍사스홀덤 FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 Asian Qualifiers at the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday (June 21) at 9 p.m. ET.

    It was the second straight win for South Korea, who also won 5-0 against Singapore on Sept. 16, to top Group C. It’s also encouraging to note that they beat Yoo Jong-mi in their last A-match in 2023.

    In addition, Jung Seung-hyun, who has recently stepped up as the main defender for Klinsmann’s team, scored his A-Match debut.

    Under former coach Paulo Bento, who led the team until last year, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) was partnered by Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan).

    The left-footed Kim Young-kwon and right-footed Kim Min-jae were deployed in the left and right central defense positions, respectively, to play a more efficient and quick passing style of soccer.

    In the early days of Klinsmann’s tenure, Kim was paired with Kim Min-jae, but since the Peru game in June, Kim’s partner has been Jung Seung-hyun.

    Jung Seung-hyun also proved to be a formidable presence in the June A match when Kim Min-jae was injured, partnering with Park Ji-soo (Wuhan). Since then, Jung has been consistently chosen as Kim Min-jae’s partner.

    After some shaky performances in the September A-Match, the duo showed off their steady defense in the back-to-back matches in October and November. As a result, the Jung-Seung-hyun-Min-jae lineup kept a clean sheet in six consecutive A-Match matches.

    In addition, Jung Seung-hyun scored his A-Match debut goal against China. In the 42nd minute, Son Heung-min finished off a cross from the right side of the opponent’s penalty box with a header for his first goal in 19 A-Match matches.

    Klinsmann’s eyes now turn to the Asian Cup in Qatar next January. Klinsmann is aiming to win the tournament. In order to achieve this goal, it will be crucial for Jeong Seung-hyun to continue his current form.