North Korea qualifies for the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2011

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GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — North Korea has qualified for the Women’s World Cup for the first time since a doping saga in 2011 led to its long absence from top-tier international tournaments.

Hong Song Ok scored a hat trick in a 4-0 win over Taiwan on Thursday in playoffs at the Women’s Asian Cup to determine the confederation's fifth and sixth qualifiers for next year's World Cup in Brazil.

Angela Beard and Jaclyn Sawicki scored in a six-minute span to help the Philippines secure a World Cup spot with a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the afternoon game.

There were six guaranteed World Cup spots on offer at the continental championship, with Australia, Japan, China and South Korea assured places as quarterfinal winners. The quarterfinal losers went into playoffs at the Gold Coast for the fifth and sixth spots.

Taiwan and Uzbekistan still have another chance to qualify for Brazil via inter-confederation playoffs.

The Women's Asian Cup concludes Saturday with the final between Australia and Japan.

Back in 2011, North Korea officials blamed traditional medicines based on deer glands for causing the squad's five positive tests for steroids at the Women’s World Cup.

After two players were caught during the tournament, FIFA tested the rest of the North Korean squad and found three more positive results.

A subsequent ban resulted in North Korea missing the 2014 Asian Cup. It failed to qualify for 2018 and missed the 2022 tournament because of travel restrictions imposed in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head coach Ri Song Ho's young North Korea squad in Australia included players he guided to the Under-20 Women’s World Cup title in 2024.

The three-time champions were playing at the Women's Asian Cup for the first time since losing the 2010 final to Australia, and narrowly lost to the Matildas in the quarterfinals after placing second to 2022 champion China in Group B.

“We’ll play harder to become champions next time," the 22-year-old Hong said in comments translated for a tournament social media post.

The Philippines had nine shots at goal in the first half without being able to break the deadlock but Beard needed only two minutes following the interval to make it 1-0.

The ex-Australia youth international perfectly timed her run to the edge of the box and leaped to drive a left-foot volley into the net after Jael-Marie Guy's long, high cross from the right.

Guy crossed from the right again for Sawicki to double the lead with a header in the 52nd to ensure the win.

The Philippines bench cleared at the fulltime whistle as the substitute players sprinted onto the pitch and joined their teammates to celebrate back-to-back World Cup qualification.

With a view to World Cup qualifying, Philippines coach Mark Torcaso rotated his team in the quarterfinals and it resulted in a 7-0 loss to Japan, Asia's top-ranked women's team.

With a first-choice starting lineup restored, the Philippines had too much fire power for Uzbekistan.

“It’s another step in the right direction for Philippines women’s football," defender Hali Long said, "and just shows that we belong on the world stage.”