'We're here solely to play football,' insists North Korean coach before Asian Champions League semi-final

SUWON: The coach of the first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years batted away questions Tuesday (May 19) about the prospect of South Koreans cheering his side, saying: "We are here solely to play football."

Naegohyang Women's FC will face South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the semi-finals of the Asian Women's Champions League on Wednesday.

Interest in the rare North-South clash has been intense, and 7,087 general admission tickets sold out within hours of going on sale last week.

Naegohyang's arrival at South Korea's Incheon International Airport on Sunday saw players and officials surrounded by throngs of reporters and supporters holding welcome signs.

Around 3,000 spectators from civic groups backed by Seoul's unification ministry are expected to cheer both teams, but there will be no official away supporters because North Koreans are generally not allowed into the South.

Naegohyang head coach Ri Yu Il brushed off questions about what he thought about the prospect of South Koreans cheering his side during Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"I'm not sure whether similar questions will continue to come up," he said.

"But we are here solely to play football.

"Simply put, we will focus only on each match," he added.

"Therefore, the issue of the supporters is not something I, as a coach, or our players need to concern ourselves with.

"We will concentrate exclusively on the game."

The Seoul government has provided US$200,000 to support South Korean civic groups planning to cheer both teams at the match.

According to local media, civic groups have been discussing cheering guidelines with the authorities, because waving North Korean national flags in public is prohibited under the national security law.

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