United Koreans in Japan football team

The United Koreans in Japan official football team represents the Korean population living in Japan. The team includes players holding passports from North Korea, South Korea and Japan. The team, run by the United Korean Football Association in Japan (UKFAJ), joined ConIFA in 2015, and played its first matches at the 2016 ConIFA World Football Cup.[1]

United Koreans in Japan
Shirt badge/Association crest
AssociationUnited Korean Football Association in Japan
ConfederationConIFA
Head coachAn Yong-hak
Most capsShin Yong-ki (11)
Top scorerTae An-sung (4)
Home stadiumAkabane Park Stadium
First colours
Second colours
First international
 United Koreans in Japan 1–0 Székely Land 
(Sukhumi, Abkhazia; 30 May 2016)
Biggest win
Ryukyu Islands Ryūkyū 0–9 United Koreans in Japan 
(Nakagusuku, Japan; 26 November 2016)
Biggest defeat
 United Koreans in Japan 0–3 Kurdistan Region 
(Sukhumi, Abkhazia; 31 May 2016)
ConIFA World Football Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2016)
Best resultQuarter-finals (7th), 2016

History

The national team grew out of the local football club for Koreans in Japan, FC Korea, which formed in 1961 and currently plays in the Kanto Soccer League, and is still the base of the national team. Upon its formation, it joined ConIFA, and became one of the Asian teams invited to play at the 2016 ConIFA World Football Cup on 9 January 2016. The team progressed to the quarter finals after beating Székely Land 1-0 in the group stages, but lost on penalties to Northern Cyprus, thus putting them in the placement rounds, where they eventually finished 7th in the overall competition.

In 2018 they were confirmed as participating in the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup. For the tournament, they appointed former North Korean international An Yong-hak as player-manager.

Matches

Legend

  Win  Draw  Loss

v  Székely Land
30 May 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Group B United Koreans in Japan  1–0  Székely Land Dinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GETLee Son-chon 60'
v  Kurdistan Region
31 May 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Group B United Koreans of Japan 0–3  Kurdistan Region Dinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GETReportDiyar Rahman 27'
Miran Khesro 45' (pen.)
Hunar Ahmad 73'
v  Northern Cyprus
1 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Quarter-Final United Koreans in Japan  1–1
(2–4 p)
 Northern Cyprus Dinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GETOn Song-tae 54'Ünal Kaya 31'
Penalties
Kim Kwang-woo
On Song-tae
Kim Su-yong
An Suug-tae
Esin Sonay
Halil Turan
Ünal Kaya
Ibrahim Çıdamlı
v  Sápmi
3 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Placement R1 United Koreans in Japan  1–2  Sápmi Dinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GETKim Su-yong 2'? 9' (pen.)
 ? 61'
v  Kurdistan Region
4 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Placement R2 United Koreans in Japan  1–1
(4–2 p)
 Kurdistan Region Daur Akhvlediani Stadium, Gagra
11:00 GETAn Suug-tae 90+5'? 80'
Penalties
Kim Su-yong
An Suug-tae
Kim Kwang-woo
Huo Yang
Shin Yong-ki



v  United Koreans in Japan
26 November 2016 (2016-11-26) International Friendly Ryukyu  0–9  United Koreans in Japan Gosamaru Field, Nakagusuku, Japan
12:00 JSTAnne-Sung Tae
Yuuki Gomi
Lee Seong-cheol
Kang Awe
Akimoto Kaijin
Lee Yoshiaki
v  Western Armenia
31 May 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group D United Koreans in Japan  0–0  Western Armenia Colston Avenue, Carshalton
12:00 BSTReferee: Fehim Dayı
v  Kabylie
2 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group D United Koreans in Japan  0–0  Kabylie Larges Lane, Bracknell
14:00 BSTReferee: Leon Dastych
v  United Koreans in Japan
3 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group D Panjab  1–1  United Koreans in Japan Arbour Park, Slough
18:00 BSTPurewal 77' (pen)Mun 90+4'Referee: David Murphy
v  Tuvalu
5 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Placement Round 1 United Koreans in Japan  5–0  Tuvalu Larges Lane, Bracknell
18:00 BSTTaniyama 18'
Lee 20', 58'
Shin 23'
Mun 83'

Coaching staff

Managerial history

ManagerPeriodPlayedWonDrawnLostWin %
Chan Ho-seong20166222033.3
An Yong-hak20186141016.7
Totals1236325.00

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up to the squad to face Panjab, Western Armenia and Kabylie at the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup in London from 31 May to 10 June.[2]

Caps and goals correct as of 1 May 2018,[needs update] when the squad was announced.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11GKShim Woo-dae (1985-01-24) 24 January 1985 (age 39)00Unattached
181GKLim Hyo-geum (1996-05-03) 3 May 1996 (age 28)00 Kwansei Gakuin University
191GKShim Woo-dae (1985-01-24) 24 January 1985 (age 39)00Unattached

22DFAn Yong-hak (1978-10-25) 25 October 1978 (age 45)00Unattached
32DFKang Yoo-jun (1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 26)00 Monroe Mustangs
52DFHong Yun-guk (1995-02-11) 11 February 1995 (age 29)00 FC Tokushima
62DFSon Min-chol (1986-10-27) 27 October 1986 (age 37)00 Lee Man FC
132DFKim Sun-ji (1994-12-05) 5 December 1994 (age 29)50 FC Korea
172DFShin Yong-ki (1993-04-14) 14 April 1993 (age 31)110 FC Korea

43MFKo Ji-hwang (1995-03-02) 2 March 1995 (age 29)00 FC Tokushima
73MFLee Tong-jun (1993-06-25) 25 June 1993 (age 31)00 Arawore Hachikita
83MFChoi Gwang-yeon (1987-12-23) 23 December 1987 (age 36)00 FC Korea
93MFLee Tong-soung (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 25)00 Staines Town
103MFYun Song-i (1980-01-29) 29 January 1980 (age 44)00Unattached
123MFKen Tamiyama (1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 (age 28)100 FC Tokushima
143MFByun Yeong-jang (1988-11-01) 1 November 1988 (age 35)00 Tokyo United
153MFHong Te-il (1988-05-24) 24 May 1988 (age 36)00Unattached
163MFMun Su-hyeon (1995-08-06) 6 August 1995 (age 28)00 FC Korea

114FWShin Yong-ju (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 (age 28)00 FC Korea

Notable players

References