sports

DPRK coach Ri Song Ho and DPRK player Choe Il Son were awarded the AFC Coach of the Year (Men) and the AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women) respectively at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 held in Saudi Arabia.

Ri Song Ho, winner of AFC Coach of the Year (Men)

Ri is a coach of the Wolmido Football Club.

He spent his playing career at the Rimyongsu Sports Club and after graduating from Korea University of Physical Education, he became a coach of the Wolmido Football Club in 2002.

Working as a coach for over 20 years, he led the team to victory in several domestic events.

Led by him who attaches importance to technique-oriented football, his team lifted the first trophy in the national tournament held in 2015 and had a string of five consecutive victories in various domestic competitions between 2017 and 2018.

He also coached the DPRK U-20 women's football team to successes in both the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup and the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup finals.

He was selected as one of the top 10 coaches of the DPRK in 2024.

Choe Il Son, winner of AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women)

She began to play football at a primary school in Kwail County, South Hwanghae Province.

According to an instructor at that time, Choe Il Son acquired basic skills and built physical strength of a higher level than her peers as she was fast, assiduous and gifted with a good brain.

Later, Choe entered Pyongyang International Football School and took part in a national event as a key player in 2021 to score a hat-trick in a group league match, attracting public attention.

After finishing the school, she started her professional career at the April 25 Sports Team and gradually cut a fine figure as a master scorer and a player with special techniques in the domestic competitions.

In particular, she scored 14 goals in total in four international tournaments last year with fast speed, sudden movement into back space of the rival team, one-on-one elimination and skilful shooting.

She made six goals, the largest number of goals in the whole period of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, and she was awarded the Golden Boot and Gold Ball.

As a result, Choe Il Son became the first player who won four trophies in four international tournaments in one year in the DPRK's football history, the first player who was awarded both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in a U-20 Women's World Cup and was selected as one of the top 10 players of the DPRK in 2024.