BANGKOK, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan won the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup for a seventh time with a 1-0 victory over defending champion DPR Korea in the final at Thailand's Thammasat Stadium on Saturday night.
Both teams marched into the final with an undefeated record in this tournament, while DPR Korea performed brilliantly in the previous five games, scoring 25 goals and keeping a clean sheet.
In the first half, DPR Korea quickly took control of the rhythm and frequently put pressure on Japan's goal. They created many threatening shooting opportunities, but failed to convert the advantages into goals. In contrast, Japan remained in a passive defensive position all the time.
After the break, Japan turned the match on its head. Momoka Sano came from behind the DPR Korea defense in the 56th minute to head home Noa Fukushima's free-kick. DPR Korea threw everything at their opponents' goal but Japan held firm to wrest the trophy away from the title holders.
A total of 12 teams participated in this tournament, with Japan, DPR Korea, China and South Korea advancing to semifinals, securing their qualifications for the U20 Women's World Cup to be held in Poland this September. ■
