Australia vs Japan
The final of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is set, as Australia and Japan will convene at the Accor Stadium for the continental trophy this Saturday. Both teams have gone undefeated so far, so something has to give.
To recap, Australia are the hosts of this year’s tournament. Joe Montemurro’s side finished second in Group A with two wins and one draw, and won 2-1 against North Korea and China in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, Japan had a better group-stage record than Australia, with three consecutive wins, securing the top berth in Group C. During the knockouts, Nils Nielsen’s women crushed the Philippines (7-0) and South Korea (4-1) to set up their final date against the Matildas.
This promises to be a scintillating showdown, and the SBOTOP AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 odds expect the fans to get their fair share of AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 highlights.
Talking Points
Foord shows up for Australia when it matters most
After going scoreless in her first four games of the tournament, Caitlin Foord reminded everyone of her calibre during Australia’s 2-1 win over China in the semi-finals. The 31-year-old midfielder struck first in the 17th minute before Zhang Linyan’s penalty made it 1-1. And during the second half, Foord set up Sam Kerr’s fourth goal of the tournament to eventually put the Steel Roses away.
Foord now has 40 goals in 145 caps, making her Australia’s fourth all-time leading scorer. She can overtake Kate Gill (41 goals) for third place if she scores a brace against Japan in the final. She is also seven goals behind Lisa De Vanna, second on the all-time scoring list.
Way up there is Sam Kerr, who now has 73 goals in 136 caps after Foord set her up against China. The 32-year-old skipper is among the frontrunners for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Golden Boot with four goals, with only Alanna Kennedy (five goals) and Riko Ueki (six goals) having more.
During his postgame interview, head coach Joe Montemurro said he wasn’t satisfied with their performance against China, as he felt they took their foot off the gas after Foord scored the first goal. However, he paid tribute to Kerr for scoring the matchwinner for Australia. Montemurro certainly has a point, especially since Japan are firing on all cylinders.
Japan are scoring goals for fun
Australia are certainly worried about Japan, as the Nadeshiko boast the most potent offence in the tournament. After scoring a whopping 17 goals in the group stage, which includes their 11-0 rout of India, Japan scored 11 more against the Philippines (7-0) in the quarter-finals and South Korea (4-1). Their rearguard also deserves plaudits, as Nils Nielsen’s women have only conceded once in this tournament.
As mentioned, Riko Ueki is the frontrunner for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Golden Boot with six goals. Also on the scoresheet are Kiko Seike (four goals), Hinata Miyazawa (three goals), Momoko Tanikawa (two goals), Remina Chiba (two goals), Maika Hamano (two goals), Toko Koga (two goals), Mina Tanaka (one goal), Yuzuki Yamamoto (one goal), Aoba Fujino (one goal), Yui Hasegawa (one goal), Maya Hijikata (one goal), Saki Kumagai (one goal), and Manaka Matsukubo (one goal).
Against South Korea, it was Fujino who set the tone for Japan, as the Manchester City forward was a constant threat on the left flank, and she even had a goal disallowed in the first half.
History
Saturday marks the 13th matchup between the Matildas and Nadeshiko. Japan have gotten the better of Australia in their past two AFC Women’s Asian Cup final meetings in 2014 and 2018, both by 1-0 scorelines. Overall, Japan have the slight edge in the head-to-heads with six wins, while Australia have four wins and two draws.
The last time Australia beat Japan was a 2-0 result in the 2018 Tournament of Nations, as Alanna Kennedy and Sam Kerr were on the scoresheet. Unfortunately for the Matildas, the United States beat them out in the competition.
A win for Japan this weekend will make them the joint-second-winningest nation in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, alongside Chinese Taipei and North Korea. So far, the Nadeshiko have two titles, four runners-up finishes, and five third-place finishes. On the other hand, Australia are level with Thailand and New Zealand at one title apiece. If they win on Saturday, they’ll be level with Japan at two wins. As of this writing, the Matildas have one title, three runners-up finishes, and one third-place finish.
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