Furious North Korea halt match briefly during tough Asian Cup defeat

A furious North Korea stopped play for a few minutes during their 2-1 defeat to China in the Women's Asian Cup on Monday, leading them to a challenging quarter-final clash with host nation Australia.

Wang Shuang's disputed close-range strike in added time of the first half in wet Sydney proved decisive, allowing defending champions China to finish top of Group B ahead of North Korea.

China now face a probable encounter with either Vietnam or Taiwan in the last eight, whereas North Korea must confront the Australians amid a supportive home audience.

Three-time past winners North Korea went ahead in the 32nd minute as Kim Kyong Yong's effort slipped beneath goalkeeper Chen Chen's body.

China responded swiftly two minutes later, with Chen Qiaozhu firing a left-footed shot from distance into the bottom corner.

As rain fell heavily and both teams fought fiercely in a robust contest, China took the lead via ex-Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham forward Wang during stoppage time of the opening period.

The assistant referee first flagged offside on her sharp finish, but VAR overruled it, confirming the goal.

Wang marked the moment with another celebration, yet the North Koreans reacted with anger, urging the official to review the side monitor.

This led to a four-minute impasse, with North Korea unwilling to continue amid jeers from the China-favouring spectators.

As their objections persisted and following a caution for manager Ri Song Ho, the referee opted not to play the remaining seconds and signalled half-time.

North Korea returned for the second half and believed they had levelled with 10 minutes remaining, but VAR ruled it offside.

In the parallel Group B fixture, Uzbekistan overwhelmed newcomers Bangladesh 4-0, preserving their chance to advance as one of the top two third-placed sides.