Published : Aug. 17, 2017 - 14:02
South Korea women's football coach Yoon Duk-yeo has signed an extension that will keep him at the helm for two more years, officials here said Thursday.
Yoon, 56, signed a new two-year contract with the Korea Football Association that will see him lead the women's national football team through the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, should South Korea qualify for the tournament.
"I want to thank the KFA and my players for giving me an opportunity to lead the national team for two more years," he said. "I also feel a heavy responsibility."
In this file photo taken on April 13, 2017, South Korea women`s football head coach Yoon Duk-yeo speaks to reporters at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Yoon first took over the women's team in December 2012 and renewed his contract after the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, where South Korea reached the round of 16 for the first time.
In April, Yoon's team won the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup Group B qualifying tournament in Pyongyang, where they competed against North Korea, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and India.
South Korea and North Korea finished tied at 10 points with identical records of three wins and a draw. But South Korea had a better goal difference, plus-20 to plus-17, and claimed the top spot in Group B.
As the winner of the qualifying event, South Korea earned a spot in the 2018 Asian Cup in Jordan, which also doubles as the regional qualification for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France. The top-five teams among eight nations at the Asian tournament will punch their tickets to the women's showpiece event.
For the Asian Cup tune-up, Yoon's side will play two friendly matches against the United States in October before competing at the East Asian Football Federation East Asian Cup in Japan in December.
"In order to boost our competitiveness, it's important to play matches against strong teams like the U.S.," he said. "Australia, Japan and China are all strong opponents at the Asian Cup, and in order for us to show our strength in big events, I hope we can advance after beating these teams." (Yonhap)