Ri Kwang-chon (born 4 September 1985) is a former
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
.
Club career
From 2005 to 2011, Ri played for
April 25
Events Pre-1600
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* 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the ...
and helped them win the league three times in 2002, 2010 and 2011. In 2012, he had a chance to join Chinese side
Tianjin Teda
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Football Club is a professional Chinese football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Tianjin, and their home stadium is t ...
but had problems obtaining a work permit and eventually joined
Muangthong United
Muangthong United Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลเมืองทอง ยูไนเต็ด) is a Thai professional football club based in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province. The club plays in the Thai League ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. After his release from Muangthong, Ri returned to April 25 in 2014, but came back to Thailand a year later to join
Pattaya United
Pattaya United Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลพัทยา ยูไนเต็ด) was a Thai football club based in Pattaya, Chonburi Province. Defunct after the 2018 season, the club was renamed to Samut Prakan ...
, retiring that same year. As with many other North Korean footballers, his whereabouts are unknown after his retirement.
International career
Ri played for the
North Korean national team between 2001 and 2012. He represented the country at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and the
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the 15th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Qatar from 7 to 29 January 2011. It was the fifte ...
.
Honours
Club
April 25
*
DPR Korea League
The DPR Korea Football League (Chosŏn'gŭl: 조선민주주의인민공화국 축구 리그) is North Korea's association football league. It has a first division DPR Korea Premier Football League, a second division DPR Korea Football League ...
: 2010, 2011
Muangthong United
*
Thai Premier League
The Thai League 1 ( th, ไทยลีก 1), often referred to as T1, is the top level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai League 2. Seasons run from August ...
: 2012
International
*
AFC Challenge Cup
The AFC Challenge Cup was an international football competition for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member countries that was categorized as "emerging countries" in the "Vision Asia" programme. "Vision Asia", created by former AFC president, ...
: 2010, 2012
References
*
1985 births
Living people
North Korean footballers
North Korea international footballers
April 25 Sports Club players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
Expatriate footballers in Thailand
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
Association football central defenders
Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
Asian Games competitors for North Korea
North Korean expatriate sportspeople in Thailand
{{NorthKorea-footy-bio-stub