The Philippines and North Korea qualify for the Women’s World Cup

Philippines players celebrate after defeating Uzbekistan in their Women's Asian Cup qualifying match for the World Cup, at Gold Coast Stadium in Robina, Australia. (AP)

GOLD COAST, Australia, March 19 (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 the 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 six minutes 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 the 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 during 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.