Soccer association sends inspectors to North Korea ahead of World Cup qualifier | NK News
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Soccer association sends inspectors to North Korea ahead of World Cup qualifier

AFC reportedly examining condition of stadium and hotels to determine if March 26 match against Japan can go ahead
Joe Smith March 5, 2024
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Soccer association sends inspectors to North Korea ahead of World Cup qualifier
A cameraman films a North Korean soccer match at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang. | Image: NK News (April 2017)

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has sent an inspection team to North Korea this week, ahead of a World Cup qualifying match between the DPRK and Japan’s men’s soccer team in Pyongyang later this month.

An AFC spokesperson told NK News that Competitions Committee Chairperson Tran Quoc Tuan traveled to Pyongyang from Thursday to Monday to determine if the capital is ready to host the match scheduled for late March.

“The purpose of the inspection visit was to assess the operational readiness and feasibility of staging DPR Korea’s upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 – Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 and

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