North Korea’s World Cup qualifying matches against Syria and Myanmar have been relocated from Pyongyang, North Korea, to Vientiane, Laos. This decision marks the third and fourth time in recent months that international football matches have been moved out of North Korea.
Originally scheduled to take place at the Kim Il Sung Stadium on 6 and 11 June, both matches will now be held at the Lao National Stadium, also known as KM 16, as confirmed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
While the Syrian Football Association (SFA) did not specify the reason for the move, NK News reported that Syria requested a neutral venue following their previous home match against North Korea in Saudi Arabia, which they won 1-0.
An official from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Football Association indicated in late April that the games would likely proceed as planned in Pyongyang.
However, on 13 May, the AFC website designated the National Stadium of Laos as the new venue for both matches.
This relocation poses a challenge to North Korea’s World Cup aspirations. However, Korean football expert Steve Price suggests that playing in Laos may still give North Korea an advantage in terms of travel logistics and creating a challenging environment for their opponents.
Additionally, the AFC’s decision to relocate the matches has raised concerns about the integrity of the competition, particularly following North Korea’s previous last-minute cancellation of a World Cup qualifier against Japan in March.
Japan currently leads the group with 12 points, followed by Syria with seven points, North Korea with three points, and Myanmar with one point. The top two teams in the group will advance to the next round of World Cup qualifiers and secure a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
In related news, North Korea’s U-17 women’s team recently clinched victory in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, defeating Japan 1-0 in the final. This success earns them a spot in the U-17 World Cup scheduled to be held in the Dominican Republic later this year.
