In today's breaking news, the AFC released heavy news announcing that the DPR Korea soccer team has officially withdrawn from the upcoming 2022 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Uzbekistan and also bid farewell to the stage of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in India.
In order to ensure a balanced number of teams for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the AFC has decided that a special online draw will take place on August 11th. At that time, eight teams will be selected, and after excluding the first-tier teams and hosts from Groups G through J, one team will be deployed in Group K, where North Korea was formerly based.
The eight teams are: China, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Philippines, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Laos.
Meanwhile, in the 2022 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in India, Group C, which originally featured North Korea, will be reduced from four to three participants - Indonesia, Iraq and Singapore - as a result of North Korea's withdrawal.
It is worth noting that North Korea has previously announced its withdrawal from the 2022 World Cup and our Asian Cup qualifying campaign for 2023.
