Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Singapore: DPR Korea and Thailand will go head-to-head to determine the Group H winners and runners-up after both recorded their second victories in Group H of the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers on Friday, with the North Koreans defeating hosts Singapore 3-0 and the Thais edging Cambodia 1-0.
Defending champions DPR Korea laid down a marker on Matchday 1 when they kicked-off their campaign to reach next year’s continental youth championship in India with a 7-0 hammering of Cambodia while Singapore conceded five without reply as Thailand also made an impressive start in their Group A curtain raiser.
DPR Korea were back on the scoring trail just 15 minutes into Thursday’s Matchday 2 clash at the Jalan Besar Stadium through Yun Min, but with Singapore putting in a much more defensively assured performance, Kim Yong-hun’s side were unable to add to their tally until midway through the second half when Kye Tam’s 71st minute strike extended the East Asians’ advantage.
As the minutes ebbed away Singapore’s slim hopes of getting something out of the match diminished, with DPR Korea sealing the 3-0 win on the stroke of full time through substitute striker Ri Son-jin, who replaced midfielder Kim Hwi-kwang in the 51st minute as coach Kim bolstered his attacking options to build on their first-half opener.
The victory lifted the North Koreans above Thailand on goal difference, with the ASEAN side also picking up their second win of the campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat of neighbours Cambodia in Friday’s earlier fixture.
The only goal of the game came in the 13th minute when Korawich Tasa scored his fourth of the qualifiers following his hat-trick in Thailand’s 5-0 win over Singapore in their Group H opener.
Thailand will now face DPR Korea on Sunday to determine who tops the group and becomes the first qualifier for the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship and who finishes runner-up and faces the agonising wait for the outcome of the other qualifying groups to see if they go through as one of the best second-place finishers.
Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification.
Should India finish top of their qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the fifth best second-placed nation will qualify for the final competition.