AFC Women's Asian Cup - Chae out to prove she belongs

Sydney: Having risen through the ranks as one of DPR Korea’s brightest talents, Chae Un Yong believes she has earned her place on the senior stage as she prepares to make her debut at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ in the Group B opener against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Captaining DPR Korea to an unforgettable triumph at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2024 and AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024™, the youngster admitted that stepping up to the senior level comes with its own emotions.

“Despite having experience with the U20 team, I was quite nervous about making my debut for the senior national team,” said the 22-year-old Chae.

“But when we arrived in Australia, I noticed so many players that I have played against at the youth level and that made me feel much more confident. It made me believe that I had earned my place in the team and I deserved to be here.”

With the East Asians’ indomitable dominance at age-group level, expectations of emulating that success at senior level naturally follow. Yet rather than feeling the weight of pressure, the number 20 is optimistic that head coach Ri Song Ho’s guidance will steer them in the right direction.

“When I was part of the U20 team, we played a very aggressive game, and then once I was in the senior team, I realised that this team played actively as well,” she said.

“Under our coach we have played a lot of matches domestically, which allowed us the chance to refine our technique as well as tactics, so even though there are so many strong teams, we are confident and will hopefully have a good match tomorrow.”

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