Japan to face Australia in Womens Asian Cup Final on Sunday

Australia and Japan Set for Asian Cup Final Showdown

The Australian women’s national team will face off against Japan at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday at 8pm (09:00 GMT) in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final. This marks the third time the two teams have met in the tournament, with Japan having won both previous encounters.

Australia, ranked 15th in the FIFA world rankings, has enjoyed an unbeaten run to the final, finishing second in Group A and topping their group with a 1-0 win over the Philippines, followed by a 4-0 victory over Iran. They also drew 3-3 with South Korea in their final group game.

Japan, ranked sixth in the world, has been dominant throughout the tournament, beating Taiwan 2-0, India 11-0, and Vietnam 4-0 before sweeping past the Philippines 7-0 in the quarterfinals. They defeated South Korea 4-1 in the semifinals, solidifying their position as one of the top teams in the tournament.

The two teams have a long history of competition, with Australia and Japan having faced off 30 times. The final will be the first time Australia has appeared in the final since losing to England in the 2023 World Cup semifinals at the same venue.

The winner of the Asian Cup will receive $1.8 million in prize money, which is lower than that offered by other confederations. The match is expected to be a closely contested and highly anticipated encounter between two of the top teams in women’s football.

Source: Al Jazeera