South Korean players celebrate after their 5-0 victory over Myanmar in the opening Group F match of the women's football tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan, on Monday. [Yonhap]
South Korean players celebrate after their 5-0 victory over Myanmar in the opening Group F match of the women's football tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan, on Monday. [Yonhap]

South Korea's women's national football team defeated Bangladesh to claim their second consecutive win in the group stage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

South Korea beat Bangladesh 6-0 in their Group F second-round match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Thursday. The contest was entirely one-sided, with South Korea firing 18 shots to Bangladesh's one.

Having already beaten Myanmar 5-0 in their opener, South Korea sit atop Group F with two wins. North Korea, who face Myanmar later Thursday, currently hold second place with one win and three points.

If North Korea defeat Myanmar to also reach two wins, the inter-Korean match scheduled for Monday will effectively become a battle for first place in the group.

North Korea are set to play Myanmar at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and are widely expected to win given the gap in quality between the two sides.

The women's football tournament at these Asian Games features 12 teams divided into three groups. The top two finishers from each group, along with the two best third-place teams, advance to the quarterfinals to compete for the gold medal.

South Korea dominated from the start and broke the deadlock in the 16th minute from a set piece. Kim Min-ji charged into the box to meet a corner kick delivered from the right flank and headed it into the net.

South Korea added a second goal just before halftime. In the 42nd minute, Jung Da-bin latched onto a cross from the right side and pushed it in with her right foot.

The one-sided flow continued in the second half. Choi Yu-ri scored the third goal in the 65th minute, in effect putting the match beyond doubt. Ji So-yeon then added a fourth in the 77th minute, finishing a cross from the left flank with a first-time right-footed shot.

Hyun Seul-gi made it five in the 79th minute, and Ko Yu-jin added a sixth in stoppage time to seal the 6-0 victory.

South Korea's women's team, which won bronze medals at three consecutive Asian Games — the 2010 Guangzhou, 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang editions — are now chasing their first podium finish in eight years.


min3654@heraldcorp.com