N Korea confident of winning Hanoi football cup

North Korean fans cheer their team during a Thang Long-Hanoi Cup match at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi September 22

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Favorites North Korea are hopeful of lifting the Thang Long-Hanoi Cup when they take on hosts Vietnam in the final match of the four-team event Friday.

In the tournament being played in Hanoi to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the city, the Koreans have won both their matches, scoring identical 1-0 victories over Australia and Kuwait.

They need just one point against Vietnam to assure themselves of the title.

Kim Jong Su, chief of the North Korean football delegation, said fans can guess what will happen in the North Korea – Vietnam game from the fact that Australia defeated the hosts 2-0.

The Korean side have been cheered on by some 20 young women working at the embassy and Pyongyang restaurant in Hanoi dressed in the traditional Hanbok.

North Korea have six points while Vietnam and Australia with three points each.

The Vietnamese team saw the video tapes of Korea’s two matches yesterday.

Except Phuoc Tu who is out with two yellow cards, the rest of team is fit and available for selection.

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Vietnam to take on Kuwait at Thang Long-Hanoi Cup

Photo: Tuoi Tre

The Vietnam’s U-23 national football team is set to encounter Kuwait at 12:00 GMT Monday at the four-team football tournament to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Thang Long – Hanoi.

Two others teams partaking the Thang Long – Hanoi Anniversary Cup include U-23 North Korea and U-23 Australia.

“Hosts Vietnam considers the tourney a warming-up chance to prepare for Southeast Asian Suzuki Cup (in December),” said the Portuguese-born coach Henrique Calisto.

“We don’t target at winning the event at any price, but to prepare ourselves becoming best for the regional competition in three months.”

The North Korean side is the favorite of tournament, with many players competing at the World Cup finals in June this year as Pak Chol Jin, Nam Song Chol, Kim Yong Jun, Pak Nam Chol, Kim Kum Il, and Choe Kum Chol.

“Physical fitness and playing spirit makes South Korea distinctive from other participants,” said player Choe Myong Ho.

The side has shown their strict discipline spirit in Hanoi with the whole team going to meals and training courses at fixed time.

North Korean coach Jo Tong Sop said his side don’t consider themselves candidates of the championship, just promise to play at their best strength as professionals.

The event will be held from September 20-24 in Hanoi with the four teams competing in single round robin format with the champions to pocket US$20,000. Two runners-up get $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.

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Vietnam to face U23 Kuwait first in Thang Long-Hanoi Cup

HCMC - In their opener, the Vietnamese national football team will meet the Kuwaiti U23s in the 1,000th Thang Long-Hanoi Cup Football Cup 2010 next Monday in Hanoi.

The Australian U23s will meet North Korea in the tournament’s opening game.

Big crowds are expected to come and watch the North Korean team and the U23 teams of Australia and Kuwait who are sending over their strongest squads for the round-robin tournament.

The friendly tournament, which is part of activities to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long –Hanoi, is taking place from next Monday to Friday at My Dinh National Stadium in the capital.

According to the organizers, the North Korean team will send a 23-member squad, including 14 football players who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June.

The North Korean team will feature eight key players including goalie Ri Myong-guk; defenders Pak Chol-jin, Nam Song-chol; midfielders Kim Yong-jun and Pak Nam-chol, Kim Kum Il and Mun In-guk; and striker Choe Kum-chol.

The Vietnamese team will also be fielding their strongest squad in hopes of keeping the cup at home. However, coach Henrique Calisto’s star striker Le Cong Vinh, who has just returned from Portugal from a ligament operation, will not attend the tournament.

Moreover, former national striker Pham Van Quyen has lost his chance with the national squad because of injury. Quyen needs an operation on his right ankle with an extended rest for recovery, according to doctors.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has received FIFA’s permission to field former national striker and his teammate midfielder Le Van Truong again in international competition. The two players were involved in a match-fixing scandal at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.

Last month, VFF asked FIFA to repeal its suspension of Quyen and Truong so that they could participate in the Thang Long-Hanoi Cup and the AFF Cup tournaments in late 2010. Both players completed their national suspension penalty in January 2009 and returned to their V-League clubs.

The champion team will receive a prize worth US$20,000, and the second and the third places will be awarded prizes valued at US$10,000 and US$5,000, respectively.

Tickets for the event are being distributed through the Vietnam Football Development JS Company. The tickets are VND120,000, VND100,000, VND80,000, and VND40,000.

All six matches from the cup will be aired live on Vietnam Television’s VTV2 channel and other local stations.

In related news, 30 players of the Vietnamese Olympic football team have been called up to prepare for the International Football Tournament - Millennium Thang Long - Hanoi Cup in HCMC.

The team, coached by Phan Thanh Hung, includes the best young players on V-League teams.

The team will compete with the Olympic teams from Iran, Malaysia and Singapore in the round-robin tournament, which will be held at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC from September 28 to October 2.

The Vietnamese players will limber up with the Cambodian national squad in two friendly matches to be held at Thanh Long and Thong Nhat stadiums on September 18 and 21 before taking part in the friendly tournament.

It is expected that the Vietnamese Olympic team will get more experience before joining the 16th ASIAD Sports Festival in China from November 7 to 26.

Thang Long-Hanoi Cup schedule:
September 20 North Korea vs U23 Australia (4:45 p.m.)
Vietnam vs U23 Kuwait (7:00 p.m.)
September 22
U23 Kuwait vs North Korea (5:00 p.m.)
U23 Australia – Vietnam (7:00 p.m.)
September 24
U23 Kuwait vs U23 Australia (5:00 p.m.)
Vietnam vs North Korea (7:00 p.m.)

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Vietnam to face U23 Kuwait first in Thang Long-Hanoi Cup

HCMC - In their opener, the Vietnamese national football team will meet the Kuwaiti U23s in the 1,000th Thang Long-Hanoi Cup Football Cup 2010 next Monday in Hanoi.

The Australian U23s will meet North Korea in the tournament’s opening game.

Big crowds are expected to come and watch the North Korean team and the U23 teams of Australia and Kuwait who are sending over their strongest squads for the round-robin tournament.

The friendly tournament, which is part of activities to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long –Hanoi, is taking place from next Monday to Friday at My Dinh National Stadium in the capital.

According to the organizers, the North Korean team will send a 23-member squad, including 14 football players who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June.

The North Korean team will feature eight key players including goalie Ri Myong-guk; defenders Pak Chol-jin, Nam Song-chol; midfielders Kim Yong-jun and Pak Nam-chol, Kim Kum Il and Mun In-guk; and striker Choe Kum-chol.

The Vietnamese team will also be fielding their strongest squad in hopes of keeping the cup at home. However, coach Henrique Calisto’s star striker Le Cong Vinh, who has just returned from Portugal from a ligament operation, will not attend the tournament.

Moreover, former national striker Pham Van Quyen has lost his chance with the national squad because of injury. Quyen needs an operation on his right ankle with an extended rest for recovery, according to doctors.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has received FIFA’s permission to field former national striker and his teammate midfielder Le Van Truong again in international competition. The two players were involved in a match-fixing scandal at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.

Last month, VFF asked FIFA to repeal its suspension of Quyen and Truong so that they could participate in the Thang Long-Hanoi Cup and the AFF Cup tournaments in late 2010. Both players completed their national suspension penalty in January 2009 and returned to their V-League clubs.

The champion team will receive a prize worth US$20,000, and the second and the third places will be awarded prizes valued at US$10,000 and US$5,000, respectively.

Tickets for the event are being distributed through the Vietnam Football Development JS Company. The tickets are VND120,000, VND100,000, VND80,000, and VND40,000.

All six matches from the cup will be aired live on Vietnam Television’s VTV2 channel and other local stations.

In related news, 30 players of the Vietnamese Olympic football team have been called up to prepare for the International Football Tournament - Millennium Thang Long - Hanoi Cup in HCMC.

The team, coached by Phan Thanh Hung, includes the best young players on V-League teams.

The team will compete with the Olympic teams from Iran, Malaysia and Singapore in the round-robin tournament, which will be held at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC from September 28 to October 2.

The Vietnamese players will limber up with the Cambodian national squad in two friendly matches to be held at Thanh Long and Thong Nhat stadiums on September 18 and 21 before taking part in the friendly tournament.

It is expected that the Vietnamese Olympic team will get more experience before joining the 16th ASIAD Sports Festival in China from November 7 to 26.

Thang Long-Hanoi Cup schedule:
September 20 North Korea vs U23 Australia (4:45 p.m.)
Vietnam vs U23 Kuwait (7:00 p.m.)
September 22
U23 Kuwait vs North Korea (5:00 p.m.)
U23 Australia – Vietnam (7:00 p.m.)
September 24
U23 Kuwait vs U23 Australia (5:00 p.m.)
Vietnam vs North Korea (7:00 p.m.)

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FIFA dismiss North Korea witch hunt claims

North Korea's Jong Tae Se (R) and Portugal's Pedro Mendes head the ball during the 2010 World Cup group G match at Green Point stadium in Cape Town June 21, 2010

Photo: Reuters

FIFA has dismissed allegations that North Korea’s coach and players were punished for losing all three of their games at this year’s World Cup.

Asian media reported the side had been publicly shamed after returning from South Africa having conceded 12 goals in the first round. Soccer’s governing body FIFA insisted it was business as usual for North Korea and that no such witch hunt had taken place.

“The (North Korean) FA assures FIFA that Mr Kim Jong Hun, head coach of the national team, and all the other members of the national team are training as usual,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The association also indicates that there were no sanctions to the coach and that the reports on this matter were baseless.

“With all of the information at hand, and having checked all of sources, FIFA has decided to close the matter.”

North Korea lost 2-1 to Brazil, were humiliated 7-0 by Portugal and easily beaten 3-0 by Ivory Coast at the World Cup.

South Korean media claimed Kim and his team were forced onto a stage at the People’s Palace of Culture in front of 400 government officials, students and journalists.

Reports said the players were subjected to six hours of criticism for their performance at the World Cup, their first appearance since 1966.

Election fair

FIFA added that an election for the president of the North Korea FA was also considered to be within its rules.

“The (North Korean) FA clarified that the election of the president of the association held on June 19 was held in accordance with the statutes of the association and were not affected by any result of the team at the World Cup,” said FIFA.

“At the time of the election the team had only played one match against Brazil and had shown a good level of play.”

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