Naegohyang Women's FC
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| Full name | Naegohyang Women's Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 | ||
| Head coach | Ri Yu-il | ||
| League | DPR Korea Women's Premier League | ||
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Naegohyang Women's Football Club (Korean: 내고향 녀자축구단) is a North Korean professional women's football club from Pyongyang.[1] The club was founded in 2012 and competes in the DPR Korea Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in North Korea.
History
Naegohyang was founded in 2012 and won its first championship in the 2021–22 season.[2] The team won its second title in the 2023–24 season, which qualified them for the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League as direct entrants to the group stage; however, they withdrew before the draw.[3] Their first international appearance resulted in an 11–0 victory over Laos's Master FC.[4] They are currently coached by Ri Yu-il, who has also coached the North Korea women's national team.[4][5]
Naegohyang participated in the 2025–26 AFC Women's Champions League. One of their fixtures was the semi-final match against Suwon FC Women, the first South Korea-hosted sport event that North Korean athletes participated after over seven years.[6] On 23 May 2026, Naegohyang faced Tokyo Verdy Beleza for the final and won 1–0, qualifying to the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup as the Asian representative.[7][8] In total, Naegohyang scored 36 goals throughout the tournament.[9]
Players
Current squad
- As of 25 August 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching history
Song Sung-gwon (2024)[10]- Ri Yu-il (2025–present)
Continental record
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | AFC WCL | Group D |  Master |
11–0 | 1st out of 4 |
 RTC |
7–0 | ||||
 Kaohsiung Attackers |
5–0 | ||||
| Group C |  Tokyo Verdy Beleza |
0–4 | 2nd out of 4 | ||
 Suwon |
3–0 | ||||
 ISPE |
3–0 | ||||
| Quarter-finals |  Hồ Chí Minh City |
3–0 | |||
| Semi-finals | Suwon |
2–1 | |||
| Final | Tokyo Verdy Beleza |
1–0 | |||
Honours
- Domestic
- DPR Korea Premier League (2): 2021–22, 2023–24
- International
References
- ↑ "A North Korean Soccer Team Makes a Rare Visit to South Korea".
- ↑ Ahn, Yoon-seok (15 October 2022). "북한 여자축구경기 '내고향' 팀 창단 10년만에 우승" [North Korea women's football team 'Naegohyang' wins championship 10 years after its founding.]. spnews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ↑ "女子ACL優勝チームの賞金獲得総額は2億円超!! 北朝鮮勢ら参加22チームも明らかに". gekisaka.jp (in Japanese). 14 June 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- 1 2 "Group D: Naegohyang Women's FC (PRK) 11-0 Master FC (LAO)". Asian Football Confederation. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ↑ "Tough domestic league behind North Korea's football success". Kyodo News. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ↑ "Đội bóng đá nữ Triều Tiên tới Hàn Quốc thi đấu" [North Korean women's football team to play football match in South Korea]. Quảng Ngãi TV (in Vietnamese). Quang Ngai Newspaper and Radio, Television. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
- ↑ "President Lee Jae Myung Congratulates North Korean Champions". The Chosun Daily. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "DPRK club Naegohyang wins AFC Women's Champions League title". Xinhua. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "DPRK Women Footballers Return Home". Korean Central News Agency. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
- ↑ Ahn, Yoon-seok (12 February 2025). "북, 2024년 10대 최우수선수·감독 선정". spnews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2025.