On Sunday (October 1), the Men's Asian Football Association (MAFA) will face North Korea in the last 8 of the Men's Asian Football Association (MAFA).
The North Korean Men's Asian Football Team is one of the two teams that have never conceded a goal in this year's Asian Games. They won all three of their group stage matches, and then beat Bahrain 2:0 in the Round of 16, with all four matches going to the goal difference, which is a very stable defensive performance. However, their opponents, Kirghizia, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei and Bahrain are not strong teams, which makes North Korea's road to promotion unconvincing. North Korea will send U24 and 3 overage players to the tournament, among which 28-year-old midfielder Kim Kook-beom plays for domestic team Lembang Sporting Club and has experience as a big footballer, and he also scored against Bahrain.
Japan's 7-0 win over Myanmar in the Round of 16 was expected, and their team leader for this year's tournament is former Kashima Antlers head coach Tsuyoshi Oiwa. The 51-year-old coach led Kashima to the second place in the AFC Champions League in 2018, and his ability to lead the team is not in doubt. There are also two expatriates in the Japanese squad, including No. 13 striker Kei Yoon Sato and No. 6 midfielder Daichi Matsuoka. The former is currently playing for Werder Bremen II and scored against Myanmar, while the latter is on loan from Shimizu Heartbeat to a Brazilian team in the second division, and is the centerpiece of the Japanese team's midfield. Together with the other players in the domestic league, the Japanese team is very strong.
