Women’s U-16 Asian champions DPR Korea

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia’s U-17 women’s representatives found out their opponents for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday.

The task ahead for Asian champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan and third-placed Korea Republic became considerably clearer with the draw in Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, where the 16-team event kicks off on October 8.

DPR Korea have been grouped with Germany, and a team each from CONCACAF and CAF while Japan will fight it out with an as yet undecided team from CONCACAF, France and Paraguay.

Korea Republic will have Brazil, England and a CAF side for company.

DPR Korea defeated Japan 3-0 in the final to clinch the Asian title in March last year.

THE GROUPS
Group A
A1 New Zealand
A2 CONCACAF A
A3 Denmark
A4 Colombia

Group B
B1 CONCACAF B
B2 Germany
B3 Korea DPR
B4 CAF B

Group C
C1 Japan
C2 CONCACAF 1*
C3 France
C4 Paraguay

Group D
D1 Brazil
D2 England
D3 Korea Republic
D4 CAF A

* The winners of the yet-to-be-contested CONCACAF preliminary competition, who were seeded in the draw.
Still to qualify
CAF: Two from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria.
CONCACAF: Three from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and USA.