Ko rises to lead Korea Republic charge

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Ko rises to lead Korea Republic charge

Gold Coast: As she prepares to make her AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ debut on Monday, Ko Yoo-jin would hardly have imagined that she would be in this position a year ago.

Having featured for Korea Republic at various youth levels, most notably turning out at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Papua New Guinea 2016, the then-midfielder never quite made the leap to the senior side. While a maiden call-up came in April 2022, Ko never received a cap and did not feature in the set-up thereafter.

That was until March last year, when current head coach Shin Sang-woo gave her a second shot - one that Ko made the very best of. A long-awaited debut arrived in an away friendly against Australia in the following month, followed by five more appearances as she swiftly established herself at the heart of the defence.

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Preview - Group A: Korea Republic v IR Iran

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Preview - Group A: Korea Republic v IR Iran

Gold Coast: The respective head coaches of Korea Republic and Islamic Republic of Iran expressed confidence in their tournament preparations ahead of their opening AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ clash on Monday, which will represent the first-ever meeting between the pair.

Ranked 21st by FIFA, it will be the East Asians’ 55th match in competition history on their 14th appearance, while their 68th-ranked Central Asian opponents are participating in only their second edition after making their debut in 2022.

With expectations of going far Down Under, Shin Sang-woo is keen for the 2022 runners-up to start on a winning note but is not taking anything for granted despite the chasm in experience.

Group A: Australia 1-0 Philippines

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Group A: Australia 1-0 Philippines

Perth: Sam Kerr marked her return with the decisive goal as Australia defeated the Philippines 1-0 in their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Group A opener at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.

While Australia will be happy to have kicked off their bid for a second title with a win, the margin of victory could have been greater as they totally dominated the tie but could only breach the stout Philippines defence once. 

#WAC2026 breaks attendance record in dazzling opening ceremony

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

#WAC2026 breaks attendance record in dazzling opening ceremony

Perth: The AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ kicked off on Sunday with an unforgettable Opening Ceremony at the stunning Perth Stadium, where a staggering 44,379-strong crowd, the highest ever attendance in the competition’s history, gathered to witness the start of the Continent’s premier women’s national team competition.

The attendance at Perth Stadium tonight spectacularly eclipsed the previous record of 18,000, which was recorded at the 2014 edition of the competition in Vietnam, underscoring the palpable excitement and anticipation surrounding the latest iteration of Asia’s flagship women’s competition.

#WAC2026 - Caught on Camera

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

#WAC2026 - Caught on Camera

Sydney: The AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™ is set for take off with the host cities - Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast buzzing with excitement.

The three cities have spared no effort in generating anticipation for the continental showpiece.

 

Ahead of the action kicking off on Sunday, the-AFC.com has captured the excitement of the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on camera.