4.25 and Naegohyang Women’s FC check in with convincing wins

North Koreans sides 4.25 and Naegohyang Women’s FC are both through to the knockout stages with convincing wins in their AFC Women’s Champions League group matches.

4.25 SC booked their berth in the knockout stage after picking up a 6-0 win against Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC in their Group B tie in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Defending champions Naegohyang Women’s FC closed in on the quarter-finals after cruising 6-1 past BAM Khatoon FC in Group A.

4.25 have six points from two matches and are assured of a top two finish in the group regardless of what happens in the remaining games.

4.25 assumed control of the match from the opening whistle and their pressure saw Kayla Siddiqi handle the ball in trying to block Pak Ok I’s cross, with Myong Ju Yong slotting home her spot-kick in the eighth minute.

The North Korean side doubled their advantage 10 minutes later following a short corner routine as Jon Ryong Jong’s cross was missed by goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh, giving Jong Pok Yong the simple task of nodding home at the back post.

Ho Chi Minh found it difficult to get a hold of the ball but did pull themselves together defensively, restricting 4.25 to a Ryong Jong effort which came back off the crossbar before Ok I blazed her attempt high after exchanging passes with Han Jin Hong.

There was no letting from 4.25 after the interval with Han breaking into space inside the box after two minutes of the restart to force Thi Kim Thanh to tip the ball out for a corner kick.

From that corner delivery, Choe Kang Ryon’s cross was allowed to bounce twice in the box before Ryong Jong knocked home from close range to extend 4.25’s lead.

Another perfect corner delivery from Kang Ryon in the 71st minute saw Choe Song Gyong ghosting in at the near post to glance a header past Thi Kim Thanh.

Ri Su Yang tapped home the fifth in the 87th minute thanks to Choe Il Son’s cut-back and Song Gyong powered another header home in stoppage time to seal 4.25’s qualification to the quarter-finals in style.

Kim Song Ok and Ri Kum Hyang set the early tone going into the break as the Naegohyang powered through the second half with further goals to seal the convincing victory.

Naegohyang came into the tie buoyed by their 7-0 win over Ayeyawady FC – Women of Myanmar on opening day, while BAM Khatoon had suffered a 4-1 defeat to Japanese side INAC Kobe Leonessa.

The Iranian side adopted a deep defensive approach from the outset to keep Kim Kyong Yong and Ri Myong Gum at bay with timely interceptions inside the box.

Naegohyang came close to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute when Jong Kum’s low drive from inside the box was cleared on the line by Sarshin Kamangar.

Naegohyang finally took the lead in the 26th minute following a set-piece situation when Pak Ye Gyong teed the ball to Kim Song Ok, who struck a powerful drive from inside the box into the top left corner. 

BAM Khatoon conceded again 11 minutes later off a corner, Ri Kum Hyang seeing her glancing header deflected into the back of the net by Roujin Tamrian.

Any hope of a BAM Khatoon fightback in the second half was quickly extinguished in the 52nd minute as a pressing Naegohyang extended their advantage with Ye Gyong volleying home Jong Kum’s cross from just above the six-yard-box.

Choe Yon A made it 4-0 two minutes later, finishing from inside the box after Jong Kum threaded a neat pass through the defence before Jong Kum got on the scoresheet in the 59th minute, heading home Choe’s cross from close range.

BAM Khatoon pulled a goal back in the 67th minute when Roujin Tamrian set up Fatemeh Shaban, who finished into the bottom left corner.

Naegohyang then closed their account in the 88th minute when Mona Hamoudi turned Ri Myong Gum’s shot into her own net.

RESULTS

GROUP A: INAC Kobe Leonessa (Jpn) bt Ayeyawady (Mya) 2-0; Naegohyang Women’s FC (Prk) bt BAM Khatoon (Irn) 6-1

GROUP B: 4.25 SC (Prk) bt Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (Vie) 6-0l Hwacheon KSPO (Kor) bt East Bengal (Ind) 4-1

GROUP C: Beijing Jingtan (Chn) bt PFC Nasaf (Uzb) Beijing Jingtan (Chn) 2-1; Melbourne City (Aus) bt Kaya FC-Iloilo (Phi) 7-0