WK League News

South Korea last night beat hosts Thailand 2-1 in extra time to progress to the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup and secure a spot at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, taking place this September in Poland.

The Korean side created opportunities early in the match, going ahead in the first half as Nam Seungeun of WE League club Albirex Niigata headed home a corner in the 16th minute of play. They had chances to double their lead but went into the break still only one goal ahead. As Thailand stepped up the pressure in the second half, Madison Casteen scored the equaliser for the host nation, and with neither team able to finish the job within 90 minutes, the match went into extra time.

Daekyeung University’s Park Juha gave South Korea the advantage in the 106th minute, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Chonticha Panyarung and into the net as the Thai defenders sprinted in vain to try and make a goal line clearance. Park Younjeong’s team held onto their lead to knock the hosts out of the competition. Their progression to the final four also means South Korea will appear at their third consecutive (seventh overall) U-20 Women’s World Cup.

In the more immediate future, though, the squad now has the formidable task of a semi-final re-match with defending champions North Korea, who thrashed them 5-0 in the group stage of this tournament. With World Cup qualification in the bag, the South Korean team have a chance to, at the very least, improve upon this previous performance.