The Korea national under-20 football team, also known as the Korean unified football team, was the national under-20 team of Korea, being a combined representative team representing both South Korea and North Korea. Their only participation in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments was at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.
 | |||
| Association | DPR Korea Football Association Korea Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Other affiliation | Inter-Korean Sports Conferences | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Head coach | An Se-uk | ||
| Top scorer | Cho In-chol (2) | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Argentina 0–1 Korea  (Lisbon, Portugal; 15 June 1991) | |||
| Last international | |||
 Brazil 5–1 Korea (Porto, Portugal; 22 June 1991) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Argentina 0–1 Korea (Lisbon, Portugal; 15 June 1991) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Brazil 5–1 Korea (Porto, Portugal; 22 June 1991) | |||
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1991) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1991) | ||
History
editThe Inter-Korean Sports Conferences were held on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee since 1963, but the conferences always broke down until the 1980s because both sides had not seen eye to eye. In February 1991, however, they decided to make Korean unified teams in table tennis and football.[1]
In that same year, both South and North qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championship as winners and runners-up of the 1990 AFC Youth Championship, so they urgently made allied under-20 football team for the world championship despite concerns about communication and teamwork.[2] Ten South Korean players and eight North Korean players formed the unified team, and they were managed by North Korean coach An Se-uk. The Korean Unification Flag, which composed of a blue image of the Korean Peninsula over a white background, was the symbol used by the team which competed under the name "Korea".[3]
Korea began their World Youth Championship run by playing against favorites Argentina. The only goal of the match was a 30-yard strike goal made by North Korean footballer, Cho In-chol in the 88th minute which secured Korea's only win in the group stage. The Korean team would have lost its group stage match against Ireland but North Korean footballer Choi Chol made an equalizer in the 89th minute. They managed to advance to the knockout stage, although they conceded their last group stage match against hosts and eventual champions Portugal by a solitary goal,[3] However, they suffered their worst defeat in the quarter-final match against Brazil.[3]
Results
edit| 15 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship (Group A) | Argentina | 0–1 | Korea | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 19:00 | Report | Cho In-chol  88' |
Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Ernesto Filippi (Uruguay) |
| 17 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship (Group A) | Republic of Ireland  | 1–1 | Korea | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 19:00 | McCarthy 58' |
Report | Choi Chol 89' |
Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 5,500 Referee: Robert Sawtell (Canada) |
| 20 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship (Group A) | Portugal  | 1–0 | Korea | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 21:30 | Torres 42' |
Report | Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 38,000 Referee: Enrique Marín Gallo (Chile) |
| 22 June 1991 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship (Quarter-finals) | Brazil | 5–1 | Korea | Porto, Portugal |
| 21:30 |
|
Report | Choi Chol 40' |
Stadium: Estádio das Antas Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Guy Goethals (Belgium) |
Coaching staff
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  An Se-uk
|
| Assistant coach |  Nam Dae-sik
|
Players
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ 남북체육교류의 역사 - 남북체육회담 ①. Naver (in Korean). Ministry of Unification. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ 南北축구 단일팀「戰力상쇄 」우려. Naver (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 16 February 1991. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ a b c "A tale of two countries". FIFA. 15 February 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.