After knocking South Korea out of the women's football tournament at the Asian Games on Saturday, North Korea head coach Ri Yu-il said his players let their performance do all the talking.

North Korea head coach Ri Yu-il (L) gives orders to his players against South Korea during the teams' quarterfinal match in the women's football tournament at the Asian Games at Wenzhou Sports Centre Stadium in Wenzhou, China, on Sept. 30, 2023. (Yonhap)

North Korea head coach Ri Yu-il (L) gives orders to his players against South Korea during the teams' quarterfinal match in the women's football tournament at the Asian Games at Wenzhou Sports Centre Stadium in Wenzhou, China, on Sept. 30, 2023. (Yonhap)

North Korea defeated South Korea 4-1 in quarterfinal action at Wenzhou Sports Centre Stadium in Wenzhou, southeast of the main host city, Hangzhou, moving a step closer to winning their fourth Asiad gold medal.

North Korea are not ranked by FIFA, having not played internationally in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Asiad is the North Korean women's team's first international appearance since March 2019.

Asked about his squad's competitiveness, Ri said, "I think we all saw what happened today. I don't need to say anything more about the level of our play."

"Whether it's an international match or any other competition, we will do the best we can," Ri added. "We will try to accomplish our objective."

Ri thanked his players for battling until the final whistle, saying, "They all came together as one."

"There is no such thing as a perfect team," the coach added. "Physically, technically and tactically, we would like to finish this tournament well and keep improving in the future."

North Korea won Asian Games gold medals in 2002, 2006 and 2014. They have now beaten South Korea 16 times in 20 meetings, with three draws and one loss.

Source: Yonhap News Agency