United Koreans in Japan official football team

The United Koreans in Japan official football team represents the Korean population living in Japan. The team includes players holding passports from North Korea, South Korea and Japan. The team, run by the United Korean Football Association in Japan (UKFAJ), joined ConIFA in 2015, and played its first matches at the 2016 ConIFA World Football Cup.[1]

United Koreans in Japan
AssociationUnited Korean Football Association in Japan
ConfederationConIFA
Head coachAn Yong-hak
Most capsShin Yong-ki (11)
Top scorerTae An-sung (4)
Home stadiumAkabane Park Stadium
First colours
First international
Zainichi Korea 1–0 Székely Land
(Sukhumi, Abkhazia; 30 May 2016)
Biggest win
Ryūkyū 0–9 Zainichi Korea
(Nakagusuku, Japan; 26 November 2016)
Biggest defeat
Zainichi Korea 0–3 Kurdistan Region 
(Sukhumi, Abkhazia; 31 May 2016)
ConIFA World Football Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2016)
Best resultQuarter-finals (7th), 2016

History

The national team grew out of the local football club for Koreans in Japan, FC Korea, which formed in 1961 and currently plays in the Kanto Soccer League, and is still the base of the national team. Upon its formation, it joined ConIFA, and became one of the Asian teams invited to play at the 2016 ConIFA World Football Cup on 9 January 2016. The team progressed to the quarter finals after beating Székely Land 1-0 in the group stages, but lost on penalties to Northern Cyprus, thus putting them in the placement rounds, where they eventually finished 7th in the overall competition.

In 2018 they were confirmed as participating in the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup. For the tournament, they appointed former North Korean international An Yong-hak as player-manager.

Matches
30 May 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Group BUnited Koreans in Japan 1–0 Székely LandDinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GET Lee Son-Chon  60'
31 May 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Group BUnited Koreans of Japan 0–3 Kurdistan RegionDinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GET Report Diyar Rahman  27'
Miran Khesro  45' (pen)
Hunar Ahmad  73'
1 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Quarter-FinalUnited Koreans in Japan 1–1
(2–4 p)		 Northern CyprusDinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GET On Song-Tae  54' Ünal Kaya  31'
Penalties
Kim Kwang-Woo
On Song-Tae
Kim Su-Yong
An Suug-Tae 		Esin Sonay
Halil Turan
Ünal Kaya
Ibrahim Çıdamlı
3 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Placement R1United Koreans in Japan 1–2 SápmiDinamo Stadium, Sukhumi
15:00 GET Kim Su-Yong  2'  9' (pen)
 61'
4 June 2016 2016 ConIFA WFC Placement R2United Koreans in Japan 1–1
(4–2 p)		 Kurdistan RegionDaur Akhvlediani Stadium, Gagra
11:00 GET An Suug-Tae  90+5'  80'
Penalties
Kim Su-Yong
An Suug-Tae
Kim Kwang-Woo
Huo Yang
Shin Yong-Ki


26 November 2016 (2016-11-26) International FriendlyRyūkyū 0–9 United Koreans in JapanGosamaru Field, Nakagusuku, Japan
12:00 JST  (3) Anne-Sung Tae
 (2) Yuuki Gomi
Lee Seong-Cheol
Kang Awe
Akimoto Kaijin
Lee Yoshiaki
31 May 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group DUnited Koreans in Japan 0–0 Western ArmeniaColston Avenue, Carshalton
12:00 BST Referee: Fehim Dayı
2 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group DUnited Koreans in Japan 0–0 KabylieLarges Lane, Bracknell
14:00 BST Referee: Leon Dastych
3 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Group DPanjab 1–1 United Koreans in JapanArbour Park, Slough
18:00 BST Purewal  77' (pen) Mun  90+4' Referee: David Murphy
5 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Placement Round 1United Koreans in Japan 5–0 TuvaluLarges Lane, Bracknell
18:00 BST Taniyama  18'
Lee  20', 58'
Shin  23'
Mun  83'
7 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Placement Round 2Abkhazia 2–0 United Koreans in JapanHayes Lane, Bromley
12:00 BST
9 June 2018 2018 ConIFA WFC Placement Round 3Tibet 1–1
(1–4 p)		 United Koreans in JapanSt Paul's Sports Ground, Rotherhithe
BST

Current squad

The following players were called up to the squad to face Panjab, Western Armenia and Kabylie at the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup in London from 31 May to 10 June.[2]

Caps and goals correct as of 1 May 2018, when the squad was announced.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
96 1GK Lim Hyo-geum (1996-05-03) 3 May 1996 0 0 Kwansei Gakuin University
1 1GK Shim Woo-dae (1985-01-24) 24 January 1985 0 0 Unattached
17 2DF Shin Yong-ki (1993-04-14) 14 April 1993 11 0 FC Korea
13 2DF Kim Sun-ji (1994-12-05) 5 December 1994 5 0 FC Korea
5 2DF Hong Yun-guk (1995-02-11) 11 February 1995 0 0 FC Tokushima
6 2DF Son Min-chol (1986-10-27) 27 October 1986 0 0 Lee Man FC
2 2DF An Yong-hak (1978-10-25) 25 October 1978 0 0 Unattached
98 2DF Kang Yoo-jun (1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 0 0 Monroe Mustangs
28 3MF Ken Tamiyama (1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 10 0 FC Tokushima
4 3MF Ko Ji-hwang (1995-03-02) 2 March 1995 0 0 FC Tokushima
7 3MF Lee Tong-jun (1993-06-25) 25 June 1993 0 0 Arawore Hachikita
8 3MF Choi Gwang-yeon (1987-12-23) 23 December 1987 0 0 FC Korea
10 3MF Yun Song-i (1980-01-29) 29 January 1980 0 0 Unattached
14 3MF Byun Yeong-jang (1988-11-01) 1 November 1988 0 0 Tokyo United
89 3MF Lee Tong-soung (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 0 0 Staines Town
21 3MF Hong Te-il (1988-05-24) 24 May 1988 0 0 Unattached
26 3MF Mun Su-hyeon (1995-08-06) 6 August 1995 0 0 FC Korea
51 4FW Shin Yong-ju (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 0 0 FC Korea

Managers
Manager Period Played Won Drawn Lost Win %
Chan Ho Seong 2016 6 2 2 2 033.3
An Yong-hak 2018 6 1 4 1 016.7
Totals1236325

References
  1. UKJ Profile ConIFA
  2. United Koreans in Japan squad ConIFA
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