China chase glory days at Women’s Asian Cup as Japan, Australia threat looms

SYDNEY – Defending champions China are looking to recreate their glory days at the Women’s Asian Cup, but the Steel Roses’ hopes of a record 10th title face a daunting challenge from powerhouses Japan, hosts Australia and dark horses North Korea.

The 12-team competition gets under way on March 1 in the Western Australian city of Perth, when Sam Kerr’s Matildas face the Philippines in a tournament that organisers hope will create a similar buzz to the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

That showcase, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, sparked massive public interest in women’s football with strong crowds and television audiences.

While the Asian Cup is not the World Cup, organising committee chief Sarah Walsh, a former Australian international, still has high hopes, saying that it will “absolutely be the biggest Women’s Asian Cup ever”.

Walsh stressed that the event was also about helping to further break down barriers for women on a continent where gender equality can sometimes lag.

“We have a responsibility as hosts... to make sure that this isn’t just 21 days of fun, but that we are progressing the development of the countries that are playing in the Finals,” she said.

China edged out South Korea 3-2 in Mumbai in 2022 to win their ninth Asian Cup and are the most successful team in the competition’s history.

But the days when they were among the world’s elite are long gone, with disappointing results since lifting the trophy in India.

Coach Ante Milicic, a seasoned campaigner who led Australia at the 2019 World Cup, admitted that it will be a “massive challenge” to secure back-to-back crowns for a team that have slumped to 17th in the world rankings.

“Of course there’s more added pressure now because in the past they’ve been used to a little bit of success,” he said. “Now we have an opportunity to see what we can do to produce players and teams that the nation can be proud of.”

China open their title defence against Bangladesh in Sydney on March 3. They are also grouped with Uzbekistan as well as three-time winners and ninth-ranked North Korea.

North Korea, which remains largely closed off to the outside world, are back at the tournament for the first time since finishing runners-up at the 2010 edition with a squad boasting an exciting new generation of talent.

Coached by the experienced Ri Song Ho, their squad include several players who helped win the Women’s Under-17 World Cup in 2025. That triumph came on the back of winning the Women’s U-20 World Cup in 2024.

The North Koreans kick off against Uzbekistan on March 3.

Japan, the highest-ranked team at eighth, are the only Asian country to have won the World Cup. But they have lifted the continental title only twice, most recently in 2018.

Spearheaded by Manchester United’s Hinata Miyazawa and Manchester City pair Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino, they will face Chinese Taipei in their opening game on March 4. Vietnam and India are the other two teams in their group.

“It is not a tournament that has been easy to win for Japan historically,” said Nils Nielsen, the first foreign-born coach of the Japanese women’s team.

“We want to make new history.”

Australia – the 2010 winners and runners-up in 2006, 2014 and 2018 – have their work cut out after being pitted against South Korea, Iran and the Philippines in the group stage.

But they have a strong squad packed with English-based stars including Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter and Caitlin Foord, while Chelsea’s Kerr is playing at her fifth Asian Cup.

The top two sides from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, progress to the quarter-finals, with the top six finishers also booking their tickets to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. AFP