Sports Japan beats North Korea in World Cup qualifier 🇰🇵

North Korea reportedly decided it would no longer host the match, scheduled for next Tuesday at the Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang, a day before the teams met in Tokyo on Thursday in the first of their two Asian qualifying Group B qualifiers. Minutes after that game, which Japan won 1-0, Kozo Tashima, the president of the Japan Football Association, told reporters that the return match in the North Korean capital would not go ahead.

Click to expand...

Tuesday's game has now been moved to an unannounced neutral venue, and no date has been given for the fixture. The decision denies Pyongyang a potential opportunity to build on recent signs it is ready to explore a warmer relationship with its long-time adversary. Minutes after the first of the two games between the teams in Tokyo on Thursday, which Japan won 1-0, reports emerged that North Korea would not host the return match, due to apparent concerns over rising cases of streptococcus infections in Japan. North Korea, which appeared in the 1966 and 2010 tournaments, can't afford another defeat if it wants to progress to the final round of Asia, qualifying for eighth place at the 2026 tournament in North America.

Click to expand...

With 12 points after four games, Japan has qualified for the third round of World Cup qualifiers and the 2027 Asian Cup. Japan beat North Korea 1-0 in another qualifying match in Tokyo this month. "Although the players lost an important opportunity to play, I see this as a positive step forward," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said in a statement. "Naturally, we will not be satisfied with this result, but we will continue building our strength for the national team activities in June, the final qualifying round, and the World Cup." North Korea, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Tokyo, decided not to stage the match in Pyongyang over worries about infectious diseases in Japan and had asked for the game to be moved to a neutral venue.

Click to expand...