STAR SPORTS DESK

There is a difference between facing an established champion and confronting a wounded giant hungry to reclaim lost ground.

While Bangladesh tested their mettle against defending nine-time champions China in their historic Women’s Asian Cup debut, their next opponents, North Korea, are an altogether different beast.

The three-time champions have returned with a point to prove -- opening their campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Uzbekistan -- having last featured in their runners-up finish in 2010. For much of the past decade, their senior team were sidelined from major tournaments such as the World Cup and Olympics during a turbulent spell marked by doping sanctions, near-miss qualifications and pandemic-induced withdrawal.

That isolation, however, did not erode their footballing culture; it sharpened it. The youth teams, meanwhile, kept delivering.

With an average age in the early 20s -- ranging from 19 to 26 -- this squad includes players already accustomed to winning on the global stage, which makes them particularly intimidating.

Over the past two years, North Korea lifted the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup in 2024 and 2025 -- the latter their fourth title -- and added a third Women’s Under-20 World Cup trophy in 2024, ensuring a steady stream of talent into a senior side that have since returned to the top 10 of the FIFA rankings.

As seen against Uzbekistan, the Koreans move like clockwork, stretching the pitch with superior positioning and operating almost as a collective mind. For the 112-ranked Bangladesh on Friday, it will be another examination of growth. Against North Korea, they will face a brand of football they may aspire to replicate in the future.