“I came on in the second half and since we couldn’t score despite playing well in the first half, I went in with the mindset that I had to score. I think Haruhi (Suzuki) delivered a really precise and excellent pass to me, so all I had to do was simply place the shot accurately into the goal,” said Kim, who was named player of the match.

“We analysed a lot before the match and I believed that as long as we played with confidence, a goal would eventually come. So I stayed calm and focused, and that led to the goal."

“It is my first time playing an international match after joining Red Angels, and it was even more exciting and enjoyable than I had expected. I think we delivered a good performance, so I really had fun.

“My ultimate goal is always to win and I will continue to work hard.”

Red Angels head coach Hur lauded his players’ perseverance and discipline.

“Today, our players stayed focused until the very end and gave their best effort, which I believe led to a good result,” said Hur. “Our goal is to win the final round and claim the championship. We are preparing steadily and calmly with the players to secure this title and qualify for the FIFA Women's Champions Cup.”

BAM Khatoon head coach Marziyeh Jafari acknowledged the difficulty of the match and emphasised the importance of learning from the experience.

“It was a very difficult game, especially for our team, which has less international experience compared to the Red Angels but we wanted a different result,” said Jafari. “Given the circumstances we faced, injured players and the absence of one of our key players – we couldn’t achieve what we had hoped for. 

“In the end, the important thing is that the players gave it their all and I think we need to learn from this match and use the experience we gained for the future."