North Korea eventually ran out 5–0 winners against Bangladesh in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Sydney, but the final scoreline belied a first half that was anything but comfortable for the ninth-ranked side in the world.
For the opening 45 minutes, Bangladesh’s disciplined defensive effort kept North Korea at bay. The visitors struck the net three times, only for VAR to intervene on each occasion. At half-time, the score remained 0–0, and a rare tension was visible among the North Korean ranks.
Player of the match Choe Un admitted:
“We were scoring goals but VAR kept disallowing them. It made us a bit nervous.”
North Korea coach Ri Son added:
“I kept telling the players to stay calm — the goals would come. Once the first one went in, everything settled down.”
VAR ruled out three early efforts in quick succession. In the 14th minute, a goal was disallowed for handball. Shortly after, another shot was chalked off after the referee confirmed Bangladesh goalkeeper Mili had secured the ball before the strike. A third effort was ruled out for offside.
For a team of North Korea’s calibre, the sequence was frustrating and clearly disrupted their rhythm.
Ri Son had highlighted specific threats from Bangladesh ahead of the match, and his planning proved effective. Bangladesh failed to register a single shot on target across the full 90 minutes, their attacks completely stifled.
“I had been watching three specific Bangladesh players who I felt could genuinely trouble us. I planned accordingly, and it worked — that is why they were not able to attack the way they might have wanted to,” said Ri Son.
While the 5–0 result appears one-sided, Bangladesh’s performance deserves recognition. Earlier in the tournament, they had held Asia Cup champions China to a 2–0 defeat, and here they matched one of the world’s top-ranked sides for an entire half.
Ri Son refused to dismiss the opposition:
“In football, anything can happen — I do not think about scorelines in that way. Bangladesh are a good side, and with more recovery time they will only get better.”
