North Korea Protests Asian Cup
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup saw North Korea protest an offside call in their match against China, refusing to play the final minutes of the first half [https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/china-north-korea-matildas-quarterfinal-womens-asian-cup/106433394]. Five members of Iran’s women’s team also secured asylum in Australia [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/australia-grants-asylum-to-five-iranian-football-players/106435506]. What was the final score of the China vs. North Korea game?
The controversial offside call against North Korea was made during stoppage time in the first half, with China's Wang Shuang scoring the disputed goal. Referee Le Thi Ly initially flagged the play as offside, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. North Korea's coach, Ri Song Ho, received a yellow card for his sideline protests. The North Korean team's protest lasted approximately three minutes, leading the referee to end the first half prematurely. Despite the incident, North Korea returned to the field for the second half, which ended with China winning the match 2-1. A potential equalizer by North Korea's Choe Il Son in the second half was also ruled offside after a VAR review. The five Iranian players seeking asylum are Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi. They reportedly feared punishment for not singing the Iranian national anthem at the start of their first match. The players were labeled as "traitors" on Iranian state television. US President Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's ousted shah, both urged Australia to grant the women asylum. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the players had requested assistance and were safely located. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke finalized their humanitarian visas.
