Matildas hope to avoid potential pitfalls at Women's Asian Cup draw

The Guardian

5 days ago

Australia have begun a new era under head coach Joe Montemurro but are about to find out that life comes at you fast with the much-celebrated 2023 Women's World Cup a distant memory and the 2026 Women's Asian Cup now just seven months away. The continental tournament will be the second football showpiece on home soil in less than three years with the Matildas under pressure to build on the glorious heights of their semi-final run two years ago.
Montemurro has a short runway to prepare for the tournament after taking the reins of the national side in June and immediately casting an eye toward the longer-term as much as the near future. But the focus will turn firmly back on the Asian Cup with the draw to decide the group stage and match-ups taking place on Tuesday evening.
Australia qualified as hosts after being knocked out in the last eight four years ago, while 2022 champions China and runners-up South Korea as well as Japan were handed automatic qualification after finishing in the top three at the most recent edition. Vietnam, Philippines, and Taiwan booked their spots when topping qualifying groups and will feature again as they did in 2022.
India also won their group and will seek to make up for lost time after being unable to take the pitch for a tournament debut due to a Covid-19 outbreak when co-hosting the last event. Uzbekistan return to the Asian Cup after a 23-year absence, while North Korea are among the leading contenders despite last appearing at the tournament in 2010. Iran return after appearing for the first time four years ago, leaving Bangladesh as the only tournament debutants in Australia and the outlier with a ranking of 128 and nothing to lose.
The 12 teams that have qualified for the tournament to be held in March 2026 will be divided into three groups of four on Tuesday. Australia as the hosts are the top seed and placed in pot 1 of the draw, though they would also have earned that right based on their Fifa ranking as one of the top three teams at the event. Japan have the highest ranking of all Asian teams at seven, while North Korea are close behind at nine and the only other team ranked above the Matildas' 15th place when Fifa last ran the numbers on 12 June.
(Seedings based on June's Fifa world rankings)
Pot 1: Australia (hosts, 15), Japan (7), North Korea (9)
Pot 2: China (17), South Korea (21), Vietnam (37)
Pot 3: Philippines (41), Taiwan (42), Uzbekistan (51)
Pot 4: Iran (68), India (70), Bangladesh (128)
The three Asian heavyweights will be placed in separate groups though their hopes for a clearer path through to the knockout stage could be clouded at the draw in Sydney. Nine-time champions China and South Korea both loom large in pot 2, with world No 37 Vietnam the team most will want to face despite them reaching the quarter-finals four years ago.
Philippines have their work cut out trying to repeat their efforts of 2022 when they made the last four, while this time being placed in pot 3 alongside Taiwan and Uzbekistan. Iran, India and Bangladesh make up pot 4.
The top two teams in each of the three groups will advance to the knockout stages along with the two best third-placed sides.
The tournament begins on 1 March when the Matildas face a team from pot 4 in Perth.
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The matches will be held in Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast. Accor Stadium at Homesbush and Parramatta's CommBank Stadium will host games in Sydney, while Optus Stadium and HBF Park will be used in Perth. CBus Super Stadium will also feature during the group stage.
The Matildas will play in all three host cities in the group stage, while hoping to top their group to set up a dream run at Accor Stadium through to the final.
The final will be played at Accor Stadium on 21 March. The Olympic stadium will also host a semi-final, with the other finalist to be decided at Optus Stadium.
As well as chasing a prized continental trophy, each team will be out to use the Asian Cup to secure their place at future tournaments.
The continental event – for the last time – is also the final stage of Asian qualification for the next Women's World Cup, with the four semi-finalists joining the teams appearing in Brazil in 2027. The four losing sides in the quarter-finals will have another chance with a playoff to claim two more World Cup spots.
And for the first time, the Asian Cup is a step towards the Olympic Games, with the eight quarter-finalists booking a ticket to the LA 2028 qualifying tournament.