Australia vs South Korea
Australia and South Korea are poised to advance to the knockout phase of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup (and eventually qualify for the Women’s World Cup), as they’re the most stacked teams in Group A. As of this writing, South Korea rose to first after winning their two opening matches, while Australia will likely join them at the top of Group A when they take care of business against Iran later in Matchday 2.
The Matildas and Taeguk Ladies will eventually square off at the Accor Stadium on Sunday afternoon to battle for the top spot, and the early AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 odds predict a close fight between these two powerhouses.
On the other hand, the Philippines and Iran will likely battle for the third spot, and the winner could progress to the knockout phase, depending on their ranking against the other third-seeded teams in Groups B and C.
For now, here’s an early SBOTOP preview of the marquee matchup between Australia and South Korea.
Talking Points
Kerr breaks her duck for Australia
Australia secured their first win of the tournament against the Philippines, as Sam Kerr scored an early goal, heading the ball into the back of the net after receiving Caitlin Foord’s ball off a Clare Wheeler cross. That was Kerr’s 70th goal for her country and first after nearly two years on the sidelines following a serious knee injury. After the game, the 32-year-old forward said she’s happy to be back on the scoresheet for the Matildas, considering how the rest of the game went.
Despite dominating 85-per cent of possession, the Matildas managed just six shots on target, falling short of the high-scoring performance many of their home fans had expected. After Kerr’s goal, Australia had several more chances, but Olivia McDaniel was there to save the Philippines’ blushes.
In his assessment of the game, head coach Joe Montemurro lauded the Matildas’ danger in the final third. However, he emphasised the need to be more clinical in their upcoming games, as we go deeper into the continental tournament.
“We stayed organised and stuck to our routine. At times, that structure was pivotal in helping us break lines. The Philippines tried to reduce the scoreline, and they ultimately got the result they needed,” Montemurro stated.
“Creating chances comes down to instinct and being smart in the moment. You need that bit of coldness in front of the goal. Can we be better? Absolutely. The more we control these moments as the tournament progresses, the more we’ll benefit,” he added.
Before facing South Korea on Sunday, Australia will square off against Iran later, which lost 3-0 to South Korea last Monday. Given their weapons cache, the Matildas are expected to create new AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 highlights against their politically embattled counterparts.
South Korea flex their firepower
South Korea are off to a brisk start in this competition, blowing out Iran and the Philippines with back-to-back 3-0 results. Choe Yu-Ri opened the scoring for the Taeguk Ladies, while Kim Hye-Ri and skipper Ko Yoo-Jin added two more goals against Iran. Against the Philippines, Jeon Yu-Gyeong, Park Soo-Jeong, and Kim Shin-Ji were on the scoresheet. Besides them, they also have other weapons in Casey Phair, Son Hwa-Yeon, and Choi Yoo-Jung.
Head coach Shin Sang-Woo felt South Korea should’ve scored more against Iran, as they had 30 total shots, with 10 on target and 79-per cent possession. They also dominated the Philippines today with 16 total shots (eight on target) and 77-per cent possession.
With six goals already, South Korea have the highest goal difference in this tournament. They’re definitely going all-in for the hunt of their first title.
History
Sunday marks only the ninth competitive meeting between the Matildas and the Taeguk Ladies. Australia have a significant advantage in the head-to-heads with six wins, one loss, and one draw, outscoring South Korea 14-3 on aggregate.
South Korea’s lone win came in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup quarter-finals, with Ji So-Yun (their most capped player and top goal scorer) scoring a late marginal goal in Pune, India, to progress to the semi-finals and eventually lose to China in the final match (3-2). Since then, they lost two straight international friendlies against Australia in 2025 (3-0 on aggregate).
Australia won their only AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2010, outlasting North Korea in the penalty shootout final, and they also finished second in the continental tournament three times. Meanwhile, South Korea have surprisingly never won the tournament, with 2022 being the closest.
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