No.160 / Oct 17, 2022
Ajou University defeated Sunmoon University 1-0 in the The Taebaeksan league final of the 58th Autumn Korea University Football Confederation match held at Taebaek Stadium in Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do on August 28 and won the championship for the first time in 25 years since 1997.
Every year, about 80 teams participate in the game. This year, 86 teams participated in the 58th competition, and the two leagues, Baekdusan and Taebaeksan, were divided into 46 and 42 teams, respectively. The competition was held for 17 days from August 12 to August 28. Ajou University won the championship in the Taebaeksan league, Sunmoon University lost in the finals and ended up in second place, and Jeonju University and Dankook University tied for third place. Just before the final match, Ajou University won every battle across 6 matches, and Sunmoon University made it to the finals with 4 wins and 2 draws in 6 matches. Therefore, it was difficult to predict the winner, and a close fight was expected.
However, Ajou University, led by head Coach Ha Seok-ju, recaptured the championship title with Lee Seong-min’s (2nd grade, the Department of Sports Leisure Studies) final goal in the second half. Though it was a close fight, Ajou’s football team did not forget their manners, and they won the Fair Play Award along with the championship. This victory is the first in 25 years since South Korean football legend Ahn Jung-hwan won the 31st Autumn Korea University Football Confederation match while he was a student at Ajou University. He put on a one-man show, scoring 2 goals with 1 assist in 45 minutes. The Ajou University football team is driving this momentum and aiming to win the U-League. Students hope to see another player’s photo next to the one of Ahn Jung-hwan in Yonan Hall, as it would mean that the school has produced another legendary player.
By Kim Min-ji, AG Senior Editor
mmoboo77@ajou.ac.kr