Australia beat China to reach Women’s Asian Cup final as Kerr nets winner
Sam Kerr nets the opener as Australia beat China 2-1 to reach the final of the 2026 Women’s AFC Asian Cup.
Australia captain Sam Kerr sealed a 2-1 win over China with a stunning second-half goal to put the hosts into their fourth Women’s Asian Cup final.
The Matildas will hunt a second trophy in the continental tournament and a first since 2010 against Japan or South Korea, who play in the second semifinal in Sydney on Wednesday.
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Scoring in front of home-town fans for the third time in the event, Kerr struck the winner on 58 minutes, threading the needle from an acute angle to send the Perth Stadium crowd into delirium.
Defending champions China had levelled the match with a Zhang Linyan penalty in the 26th minute following an early strike by Caitlin Foord.
The Chinese are the record winners of the tournament with nine titles to their name, while Australia’s best finish in recent years was tournament runners-up in 2018.
All four semifinalists booked their spots in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, given their progress in this tournament.
Meridiano
