Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Pyongyang: DPR Korea cemented their position at the summit of Group H on Tuesday thanks to a 2-0 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying win over Bahrain.
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The victory, DPR Korea’s second over their West Asian opponents in the race to Russia and the UAE, saw Kim Chang-bok’s charges take their points tally to 16 from seven games, four more than second-placed Uzbekistan who have, however, played two matches fewer.
Late goals in either half proved the difference for DPR Korea as striker Pak Kwang-ryong converted a penalty in the final moments of the first period, before Jong Il-gwan’s 93rd minute strike put the game beyond Bahrain – currently languishing in fifth spot – much to the delight of the 45,000 crowd at the Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korea capital.
The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.