Japan secured a third consecutive Asian Games women’s football title by defeating North Korea 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Shizuoka on Friday, October 2. The Olympic Council of Asia confirmed the result. In an October 3 AFP report, decisive penalty taker Yuzuho Shiokoshi called for the victory to bring more supporters to women’s football.
The hosts claimed their fourth title overall after a final that remained level through extra time, according to the council. Goalkeeper Shu Ohba saved Jong Kum’s effort in the third round of the shootout, and Shiokoshi converted Japan’s fifth penalty to secure gold. North Korea finished with silver.
Japan led through Mami Ueno’s 32nd-minute goal, but North Korea equalised through Jong Kum in the 47th minute and moved ahead in the 69th. Hanon Nishino scored Japan’s equaliser in the 86th minute, four minutes before the end of normal time. The council’s report recorded no further goals in extra time.
AFP reported an attendance of 6,243 in a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 that hosted matches at the 2002 World Cup. That exceeded the 998 spectators at Japan’s semi-final victory over South Korea in Shizuoka, but left thousands of seats empty for the gold-medal match on home soil.
Shiokoshi thanked those who attended while saying support still fell short of what she remembered from the Hangzhou Games in 2023, according to AFP. She also described the difficulty of women’s football not always receiving priority in television coverage and encouraged fans to watch players in person.
South Korea took bronze with a 1-0 victory over China, the Olympic Council of Asia reported. For Shiokoshi, the next hope is that interest in Japan’s gold will carry into the domestic WE League. AFP reported her appeal for supporters to keep attending women’s matches beyond the Asian Games.
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