Nepal’s ongoing struggle against North Korea in women’s youth football

Nepal’s women’s youth football teams have faced North Korea several times in recent history, and the results have repeatedly shown a wide gap in quality and experience. Most notably, Nepal suffered a humiliating 19-0 loss to North Korea in the 2004 AFC U-19 Women’s Asian Championship — a scoreline that remains one of the heaviest defeats in Nepal’s football history. Twenty years later, Nepal again faced North Korea in the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers and endured a crushing 11-0 defeat, highlighting that the gap between the two nations in women’s football remains large and challenging to overcome.

The 2004 experience: A harsh lesson

In 2004, Nepal’s U-19 women’s team qualified directly for the final round of the AFC U-19 Women’s Asian Championship, a rare opportunity as there were no qualifiers back then. Drawn into a tough group with North Korea, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, Nepal’s team struggled immensely.

In their first match, Nepal lost to North Korea by a staggering 19-0. The North Korean team, already established as a powerhouse in women’s football, showed superior skill, speed, and physicality. Nepal was overwhelmed at every level — in attack, defense, and fitness. This defeat set the tone for the tournament; Nepal also lost to Thailand (6-1) and Uzbekistan (4-1), scoring just two goals and conceding 29 in total.

Back then, women’s football in Nepal was in its infancy. The players had little international experience and limited preparation. Matches were few, and the sport itself was not widely supported or promoted. The 2004 championship was more of a learning experience than a competitive challenge for Nepal.

The 2025 qualifiers

Fast forward to 2025, Nepal’s U-20 women’s team once again faced North Korea in the AFC qualifiers held in Bhutan. Despite two decades of development and more exposure to international football, Nepal was defeated 11-0 — a much narrower margin than 2004 but still a heavy loss.

This result confirmed that North Korea remains an elite team, having won multiple U-20 Asian Cups and World Cups. They dominated their qualifying group, winning all three matches without conceding any goals and scoring an astonishing 36 goals in total.

Nepal, meanwhile, managed 4 points from three games, including a draw against Bhutan and a win against Saudi Arabia, but their hopes of qualifying for the Asian Cup ended with this defeat.

Why does Nepal struggle so much against North Korea?

The repeated heavy defeats against North Korea highlight the deep challenges Nepal faces in women’s football:

Experience and Exposure: North Korea’s youth teams have access to professional training programs, high-level coaching, and competitive domestic leagues. Nepal’s players often have less training time, fewer competitive matches, and limited professional infrastructure.

Physicality and Fitness: North Korean teams are known for their physical strength and stamina, which often overwhelms teams like Nepal who are still developing in these areas.

Technical Skills and Tactical Discipline: North Korea’s players exhibit advanced ball control, tactical awareness, and teamwork. Nepal’s players are improving but still lag behind in these critical aspects.

Support and Investment: Women’s football in North Korea receives strong government and institutional support. Nepal is gradually increasing investment, but challenges remain in funding, facilities, and scouting.

The road ahead: Learning and growing

Despite these challenges, Nepal’s women’s football has made progress in recent years. The team’s ability to secure draws and wins against other teams shows improvement and growing competitiveness. The harsh losses to North Korea, however, serve as reminders of how far Nepal still must go.

It is crucial for Nepal to focus on grassroots development, improve training facilities, and provide more international exposure for young players. Learning from stronger teams like North Korea can help Nepal raise its standards.

Heavy defeats can be disheartening but should also motivate players, coaches, and administrators to work harder. With sustained effort, Nepal may one day close the gap and compete more evenly on the Asian stage