Matildas prepare for another North Korea tantrum as Asian Cup goes on the line

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It’s been 16 years since Sam Kerr last played North Korea, but she was not surprised to see the mysterious nation’s football skulduggery remains alive and well.

Kerr on Thursday struggled to remember much about the team her Matildas beat on penalties to win the 2010 Asian Cup in China – a game in which she scored as a 16-year-old. Intel on personnel and style is about as rare as the North Korea women’s team’s international football presence in the past 15 years.

Sam Kerr speaks with media on Thursday ahead of Australia’s quarter-final against North Korea in Perth.

The dark arts, however, are impossible to forget. And, after Monday’s collective tantrum during their 2-1 group stage loss to China, these quarter-final opponents are expected to test Australia’s mental composure just as much as their game.

“You get a little bit of that in club football now,” Kerr said as the Matildas prepared for Friday night’s first knockout game of the 2026 Asian Cup.

“I think we just have to be prepared for everything and focus on ourselves, and stay focused in the moment. The other day, I think China did it really well, and I think probably just based on the fact that they focused on themselves.

“It can be frustrating and all of that, but I think that’s part of football now … it’s probably nice to see a little bit of it the other day, just based on the fact that we now know what we can expect.”

North Korea needed only a draw against defending champions China on Monday to top their group, having scored eight goals and conceded none in two persuasive, physical wins over Uzbekistan and Bangladesh. But the match in Parramatta descended into farce in first-half stoppage time when, with the scoreline locked at 1-1, China’s Wang Shuang initially had her goal disallowed for offside, then it was awarded after a VAR review.

The decision incensed North Korea so much their coach, Ri Song Ho, was given a yellow card and the players protested on the sidelines, refusing to return to the pitch for five minutes as boos rang out from the pro-China crowd. Eventually, the referee gave in and blew the whistle to call a premature half-time.

This sort of behaviour is not unusual. At the 2006 Women’s Asian Cup in Adelaide, in a semi-final also against China, North Korea had an equaliser chalked off for offside and goalkeeper Han Hye-yong kicked the referee from behind. In 2010, in the second of a two-match friendly series against the Matildas in Brisbane, the visitors were furious about a penalty decision and simply walked off the pitch under their coach’s instruction, leaving Australia’s players waiting for 10 minutes to take the penalty.

North Korean coaching staff and players argue with a match official after China’s second goal on Monday.

And though Ri had, just one hour earlier, promised not to repeat this week’s sideline protest at HBF Park on Friday, the Matildas do not expect that part of their opponents’ DNA to disappear overnight. Kerr also foreshadowed her side must meet fire with fire to ensure a semi-final spot and direct 2027 World Cup qualification.

“We don’t honestly know much about Korea every time we play them, but I think their key characteristics that they had back then they still have now,” Kerr said.

“They like to run a lot; they’re aggressive; they never give up. And I think that’s probably as far as I could probably comment. But every time we’ve played them, it’s been difficult. They’ve been aggressive on the front press, they’ve gone after us, and it’s been a tough game.

“Tomorrow, if we’re not ready for the battle, it’ll be a loss for us. They’re always a team that we know will fight to the very end, and that’s probably one of their strengths. So we have to be ready to fight from the first minute.”

The Matildas’ pursuit of an elusive trophy hit a speed bump on Sunday when they could only muster a 3-3 draw with South Korea, leaving the tournament hosts as Group A runners-up. Not only did it mean a long trip back to Perth, instead of staying in Sydney, but also a meeting with world No.9 North Korea instead of world No.49 Uzbekistan.

Adding to the pressure is that they will be without two regular starters in left-back Steph Catley and winger Hayley Raso, with coach Joe Montemurro confirming both are still recovering from the effects of concussions sustained in the group stage.

“Sam Kerr’s playing at left-back tomorrow,” Montemurro joked. “Look, not major adjustments. We’ve looked at just a couple of areas where we believe we can find some weaknesses, but no real adjustments. We’ve got enough back-up in our squad, and we believe in the back-up that we’ve got to come in and make that replacement.”