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| Ji So-yun, left, chases the ball against Ngozi Okobi of Nigeria during a Group A match at the FIFA Women's World Cup at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble, France, on June 12. Korea Times file |
By John Duerden
The Korea Football Association (KFA) may be feeling satisfied at the moment. The U-20 team reached the final of the World Cup last month, showing that there is plenty of young talent in the country. The one blot on the recent landscape was the failure of the women at the World Cup in the same month as the Taegeuk Nangja lost all three games in France.
But then there now seems to be a greater chance of the women qualifying for the 2023 World Cup as South Korea believes it has a great chance to host that tournament. It is quite a prize as the 2019 edition really broke through to become a big deal with record viewing figures around the world.
Nine bidders are expected to compete in the race (FIFA has yet to fix the details of how it will all work) and Seoul has what could be an ace-in-the-hole and that is Pyongyang. South Korea wants the bid to be a joint one from both sides of the 38th Parallel.
FIFA seems to want that too. In fact, it as the world governing body approached the KFA with the idea early this year. In March, FIFA President Gianni Infantino welcomed the possibility.
"I have been hearing for the Women's World Cup in 2023, the two Koreas," the FIFA boss said. "I have been hearing that. It would be great. They have been in a very, very difficult situation until recently."
There will be some tough competition for the Koreans as Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and others all interested. Yet co-hosting with Pyongyang would be a huge advantage. FIFA loves to talk about legacy and what better one could there be for a tournament than two nations that have been at war since 1950 coming together through soccer? It would be almost irresistible.
One problem is, of course, that relations on the peninsula are nothing if not unpredictable. It is hard to say what the situation will be like in 2020, let alone 2023. There has been talk of North Korea being involved in events before without it actually happening.
But there are positives. The June meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone was historic for the fact that Trump actually crossed over the border. If relations improve then that can only help any 2023 bid.
And, over in the men's game, the two Koreas have been drawn together in qualification for the 2022 World Cup. The first game is scheduled to take place in Pyongyang in November. If that game goes ahead without a hitch and in good spirits then it could be just the boost the bid needs.
The ingredients are in place then but there remains much to be done. If everything goes smoothly then the Korean bid will be tough to beat when it comes to winning hosting rights to staging the 2023 World Cup. That is still a big "if" but the reward could be considerable.
