Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kathmandu: Penalties came back to haunt Turkmenistan for the second successive AFC Challenge Cup with Jang Song-hyok scoring from the spot two minutes after Berdy Shamuradov had missed a penalty to give DPR Korea a 2-1 win over Turkmenistan in the 2012 final.
The match started well enough for Turkmenistan, who lost the North Koreans as the 2010 final was settled by a penalty shootout as skipper Shamuradov opened the scoring with barely 120 seconds of an intriguing encounter at the Dashrath Stadium played.
Jong Il-gwan headed the defending champions level in the 35th minute and they dominated the match until the 83rd minute when Shamuradov had a chance to seal it for the Turkmen.
But nerves got the better of him and just two minutes later Jang Song-hyok, who had given away the penalty, netted the winner for the North Koreans.
In addition to winning the AFC Challenge Cup for the second time, DPR Korea also became the first team other than hosts Australia, 2011 champions and Korea Republic, to book their place at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Just two minutes after Turkmenistan had kicked-off they took the lead when Shamuradov burst through on goal and smashed an unstoppable drive past DPR Korea keeper Ri Myong-suk to give his country the lead over the North Koreans for the second successive AFC Challenge Cup final following his 32nd minute opener in the 2010 showdown.
DPR Korea came close to equalising in the 10th minute but before Pak Kwang-ryong could pull the trigger Turkmenistan defender Akmyrat Jumanazarov slid in with a perfectly-timed tackle to deny the FC Basel striker.
For all the defending champions' slick interplay they found it difficult to find their way through a well-organised Turkmenistan backline until the 35th minute when Pak Nam-chol's cross from the right met an unmarked Jong Il-gwan, whose header bulleted past Turkmen keeper Rahmanberdi Alyhanov and into the back of the net.
Pak Kwang-ryong's intelligent ball set Pak Nam-chol through on goal but the midfielder's delicate chip went just over the crossbar with four minutes of the first-half left to play.
DPR's dominance continued in the second half with 2010 AFC Young Player of the Year Jong Il-gwan coming close to his second two minutes after the restart, firing a low shot just wide after he was set up be a subtle Jang Kuk-chol back-flick.
Arslanmyrat Ammanov, a surprising omission from the starting 11 given his impressive form in the tournament thus far, rattled the crossbar with a powerful 67th minute free-kick before Jumanazarov narrowly missed connecting with another dangerous set-piece from the reigning Turkmenistan Player of the Year a minute later.
Amanov was again involved when Turkmenistan were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when the talented 21-year-old was tripped in the box by substitute Jang Song-hyok but Shamuradov nervously fired the 83rd minute spot-kick high over the bar.
Unbelievably, DPR Korea were awarded a penalty of their own two minutes later as David Sakisov was adjudged to have hauled down Pak Kwang-ryong in the area.
And Jang Song-hyok more than made up for his earlier transgression by keeping his nerve to score the penalty that gave DPR Korea the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup title and a place in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.