Colin Bell, the 65-year-old English former head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, expressed mixed emotions after facing his old squad as an opponent.
Bell’s current team, Myanmar, suffered a heavy 0-5 loss to South Korea in their opening group match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The game took place on Monday at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.
Bell had led the South Korean team from October 2019 to June 2024. South Korea, featuring players he had previously coached such as Ji So-yun and Kim Hye-ri (both from Suwon FC Women) and Jang Seul-ki (from Gyeongju Hanwha), clearly outclassed Myanmar, cruising to an easy victory.
Despite Bell’s defensive strategy aimed at launching counterattacks, the stark difference in individual player abilities made it nearly impossible for his team to mount any effective response.
Post-match, Bell reflected on the surreal experience, saying that it was a strange feeling. He had his current team on one side, and his former team on the other.
He praised the South Korean players, noting that he’s well aware of the mental toughness of the players he coached for five years, and he knew they would give them a tough time. Bell added that his Myanmar players gave it their all, but they’re still not at South Korea’s level, showing respect for his former team.
Since Bell’s departure, Shin Sang-woo has been at the helm of the South Korean women’s national team, starting from October 2024. Assessing the revamped squad, Bell commented that the new coach has added his own flair to an already strong foundation.
After their loss to South Korea, Myanmar faces a challenging schedule with matches against North Korea on September 17 and Bangladesh on September 21.
In this tournament, 12 teams are split into three groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.
Myanmar, grouped with powerhouses South Korea and North Korea, realistically aims for a third-place finish to have a shot at reaching the quarterfinals.
Bell stated that the goal is to win at least one match, adding that today, it got a reality check against South Korea. It nows understand where it stands skill-wise, and he hopes this serves as motivation for the players in the upcoming matches.
