Mike Brandon at Suwon Castle Park

The AFC Women’s Champions League returned to the Korean peninsula this week, after the inaugural Asia Women’s Club Championship was played out in Yongin in 2018. The winner of that edition Tokyo Beleza made it to the 2026 semi-finals and would take on Melbourne City in the first game. The second semi-final sees host city Suwon FC take on Nae Gohyang FC, who became the first North Korean club side to ever play in South Korea.

The tournament itself has evolved into its current format, becoming the Champions League last year, with Chinese side Wuhan Jiangda, defeating Korea’s Incheon Red Angels in the final. The tournament is played as essentially a serious of mini-tournaments in one location, with the group stages taking place in Myanmar last November, the quarter finals taking place in the higher ranking (group stage) team’s home stadium (Naegohyang hosted Ho Chi Minh in Laos), before the semis and the final taking place in Suwon.

Conditions for the semi-finals were awful as heavy rain persisted throughout the day, with levels of rain over 11mm p/h at kick off in the second game. Nevertheless, the competition provided plenty of spectacle in a Castle Park refurbished for the occasion.

Melbourne City 1 – 3 Tokyo (1400 KO)

The Australian outfit came into this game sitting top of their domestic league, while their opponents had lost 3 in their last 5. However, the gulf in class favoured the Japanese outlift as they raced to a 2-goal lead inside ten minutes with goals from Yuzuho Shiokoshi and Miharo Shinjo. However, the Melbourne side, part of the City Football Group including Manchester City, struck back through Aideen Keane before half time.

The game had been mired by the weather and this played into Tokyo’s hands as both sides struggled to make a breakthrough in the second half, and Melbourne’s hopes of going one better after their agonizing defeat on penalties to Wuhan Jiangda in 2025, would be dashed when Shiokoshi made it a brace ten minutes from time. There was a small showing in the ‘home end’ from Tokyo who made a lot of noise amongst the downpour through, and as their places celebrated in front of them after the final whistle, hopes abound that this gifted side can be Champions of Asia against after their 2018 triumph.

Attendance: 1362

Suwon FC 1 – 2 Naegohyang (1900 KO)

If the previous game had been mired by heavy rain, it would not get much better for the big spectacle. Nevertheless, despite an initial 12,000 tickets being sold, just over 5,000 would eventually brave the elements. Many of these were representatives of unification groups, keen to highlight inter-Korean solidarity as club sides from either side of the border, clashed for the first time ever in a competitive fixture.

Some understanding is needed, Suwon’s Castle Park is essentially an open concrete bowl with a football pitch nestled inside a running track, and rain in excess of 11mm an hour meant that spectators were drenched in the deluge.

For those who did watch on, many were from aforementioned unification groups, and disposable rain coats, hot rice cake and flags of both teams were handed out for the spectacle. A cheerleading squad was also present, waving thunder sticks in the red and blue of Suwon FC, and the red (the sticks were more orange on the night), yellow and green of Naegohyang.

By contrast, a sizeable section of Suwon FC fans occupied the usual away end of Castle Park to cheer on their home side.

Suwon FC have assembled an impressive squad this season, and sit just a point off the top of the WK League with a game in hand but were stunned when the visitors took an early lead, only to be saved by it being ruled offside. Nevertheless, both sides created chances despite the downpour, and a somewhat entertaining first half, ended 0 – 0. Having beaten reigning champions Wuhan 4 – 0 in the quarter-finals, Suwon had sights on the final, and took the lead through a Japanese combination of Ayaka Nishikawa setting up Haruhi Suzuki for the opener just minutes into the second half. Some fine reaction goalkeeping from Pak Ju-mi kept Suwon at bay as they enjoyed a period a dominance.

However, Naegohyang defeated Suwon in the group stages in Myanmar back in November by 3 – 0 and that gulf in class emerged again when Kum-ok Choe equalised, and then Kim Kyong Yong fired the North Korean side ahead on 65 minutes. This followed a spell of incisive attacking play the visitors that thoroughly deserved the lead. Such precision paid off, as Suwon FC fought back, but could not break down a tactically astute Naegohyang team, who seemed to get the better of the counterparts for every ball. However, a penalty call ten minutes from time was reviewed by VAR and given, and when former Chelsea star Ji So-yun stepped up to take it, the leveler seemed inevitable. Despite sending the keeper the wrong way, remarkably the ball flew to the left side of the post, and Ji seemed almost inconsolable as teammates surrounded her, contemplating the gravity of such a miss.

Attendance: 5763

Despite 7 minutes of extra time, Naegohyang rode it out and became the first North Korean side to be in a senior final, where they face Tokyo Verdy Beleza. Much of the spectacle off the pitch was of course dampened by the severe weather, but the whoops and delight from the visitors showed just how much this meant to them, on this historic night in Korean football. Tokyo however demolished Naegohyang 4-0 in November meaning that it will be a big ask to see them crowned champions of Asia. But this fixture was at one point tipped to not even go ahead due to Visa and security concerns, and so, anything is possible.