AFC Women's Asian Cup
Uzbekistan will face the Philippines while DPR Korea will take on Chinese Taipei, with the winners securing their spots at the global showpiece.
The losing teams will have one final opportunity to qualify via the Inter-Confederation Playoffs, which will offer an additional two tickets. Australia, China PR, Japan and Korea Republic have already secured their spots after advancing to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ semi-finals.
The losing teams will have one final opportunity to qualify via the Inter-Confederation Playoffs, which will offer an additional two tickets. Australia, China PR, Japan and Korea Republic have already secured their spots after advancing to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ semi-finals.
Uzbekistan v Philippines
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium (Gold Coast)
Kick-off: Thursday, 13:00 (UTC+10)
Uzbekistan and the Philippines will be equally determined to qualify, with the former seeking a first appearance and the latter aiming for a second successive FIFA Women’s World Cup ticket.
Head coach Kotryna Kulbyte admitted her selection for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 quarter-final against Korea Republic - which Uzbekistan lost 6-0 - was with the playoff in mind.
Kulbyte will now look for the perfect performance from her side as the Lithuanian is looking at the long term, with Uzbekistan to host the next AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium (Gold Coast)
Kick-off: Thursday, 13:00 (UTC+10)
Uzbekistan and the Philippines will be equally determined to qualify, with the former seeking a first appearance and the latter aiming for a second successive FIFA Women’s World Cup ticket.
Head coach Kotryna Kulbyte admitted her selection for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 quarter-final against Korea Republic - which Uzbekistan lost 6-0 - was with the playoff in mind.
Kulbyte will now look for the perfect performance from her side as the Lithuanian is looking at the long term, with Uzbekistan to host the next AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
“We are in the playoff stage and one step to making history. That’s the spirit we bring into this playoff stage – we take it head-on,” said the tactician. “It brings both excitement and responsibility. It’s a very important match but we approach it with belief and a sense of responsibility, not pressure.
“We trust in our preparation, in our game plan, and in the unity within the team. I’m more than confident that every side competing here will give everything to seize this opportunity and create something special.”
“We trust in our preparation, in our game plan, and in the unity within the team. I’m more than confident that every side competing here will give everything to seize this opportunity and create something special.”
Similarly, the Philippines also had an eye on the playoff, with head coach Mark Torcaso shuffling his lineup in the 7-0 defeat to Japan in the quarter-finals.
The Southeast Asian side have been on the rise in recent times and Australian Torcaso wants FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification to maintain the sport’s upwards trajectory in the Philippines.
“The players have done a fantastic job to put us in this position and it reflects the hard work they’ve put in over the past couple of years,” said Torcaso. “The matches we’ve played in this tournament are a true reflection of that effort – they’ve given us a real opportunity to qualify for another World Cup.
“Now that we’re here, we’re determined to make the most of it and go again. The experience of a World Cup is something special and it’s something we want to bring back to the team. At the same time, we have players who are hungry to reach that stage for the first time.”
The Southeast Asian side have been on the rise in recent times and Australian Torcaso wants FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification to maintain the sport’s upwards trajectory in the Philippines.
“The players have done a fantastic job to put us in this position and it reflects the hard work they’ve put in over the past couple of years,” said Torcaso. “The matches we’ve played in this tournament are a true reflection of that effort – they’ve given us a real opportunity to qualify for another World Cup.
“Now that we’re here, we’re determined to make the most of it and go again. The experience of a World Cup is something special and it’s something we want to bring back to the team. At the same time, we have players who are hungry to reach that stage for the first time.”
DPR Korea v Chinese Taipei
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium (Gold Coast)
Kick-off: Thursday, 19:00 (UTC+10)
Expect DPR Korea to go for broke from the first blow of the whistle as they seek a balm for the disappointment of missing out on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 semi-finals.
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium (Gold Coast)
Kick-off: Thursday, 19:00 (UTC+10)
Expect DPR Korea to go for broke from the first blow of the whistle as they seek a balm for the disappointment of missing out on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 semi-finals.
They pushed Australia to the brink before losing their quarter-final 2-1 and head coach Ri Song Ho will be expecting a winning response from his side, with DPR Korea seeking a return to the global showpiece for the first time since 2011.
“We missed our chance to reach the semi-finals, but we will give everything to achieve our goal of qualifying for the World Cup,” said Ri.
“We missed our chance to reach the semi-finals, but we will give everything to achieve our goal of qualifying for the World Cup,” said Ri.
Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, will look to upset the formbook and produce another disciplined display, with head coach Prasobchoke Chokemor tasked with orchestrating another tactical masterclass.
They underlined their defensive resilience by holding Japan to a goalless first half on Matchday One and went toe-to-toe with China PR in the quarter-finals, eventually conceding twice in extra-time but impressing with their determination which they will count on to take them through.
“The players are ready to perform at the highest level,” said Chokemor. “We have learned from our mistakes from our previous game and will not work towards preparing ourselves for another tough test.”
They underlined their defensive resilience by holding Japan to a goalless first half on Matchday One and went toe-to-toe with China PR in the quarter-finals, eventually conceding twice in extra-time but impressing with their determination which they will count on to take them through.
“The players are ready to perform at the highest level,” said Chokemor. “We have learned from our mistakes from our previous game and will not work towards preparing ourselves for another tough test.”
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