Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Nanjing: DPR Korea and Japan have dominated women’s youth football’s recent history, in Asia and beyond, and the 2017 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship final presents another edition of one of the continent’s most intriguing rivalries.
The final will see the reigning world U-17 and U-20 champions meet the Asian U-19 champions and the tournament’s most successful nation, in a clash that seemed destined from the very first days of the tournament.
Saturday’s decider will be the fifth major women’s youth final between the two nations in four years, and a number of Japan’s squad have experienced losing finals to DPR Korea at both U-16 and U-17 level, but that won’t be a factor according to head coach Futoshi Ikeda.
“The players don’t have any extra motivation just because we are playing against DPR Korea,” he said.
“They are motivated by winning the competition, and not anything else.”
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