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The final 12-team cast for the greatest show in Asian women’s football is now in place after both Chinese Taipei and Myanmar secured qualification to the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup – India on Sunday.
Chinese Taipei emerged victorious in qualifying Group A, while Myanmar’s 14 unanswered goals took them to the top of Group D, joining six other group winners from September as well as the four nations who qualified automatically for next year’s Finals.
The stage is now set for Thursday’s official India 2022 draw, to be staged in Kuala Lumpur, where the 12 qualified teams will be split into three groups ahead of the tournament’s January 20 kick-off.
THE CAST
INDIA
Tournament hosts
Automatic qualifiers as tournament hosts, Thomas Dennerby’s India side will not only welcome the cream of the continent but look to challenge them in their first appearance at this level since 2003.
JAPAN
Qualified automatically as 2018 champions
The winners of the last two AFC Women’s Asian Cup titles, and boasting a remarkable unbroken streak of 14 successive top four finishes, the Nadeshiko and their legion of stars will be aiming to retain their title under new head coach Futoshi Ikeda.
AUSTRALIA
Qualified automatically as 2018 runners-up
The highest ranked team to have qualified, and the co-hosts of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Matildas have lost to Japan in the past two AFC Women’s Asian Cup finals, but international stars like Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter will have the chance to win the nation’s second Asian title at India 2022.
CHINA
Qualified automatically as 2018 third place finishers
The most successful nation in AFC Women’s Asian Cup history, the Steel Roses qualified automatically after finishing third in the 2018 edition and will be eager to add to the record tally of eight Asian titles, the most recent of which came in 2006.
CHINESE TAIPEI
Group A winners
Three-time winners in the pioneering early editions of the tournament, Chinese Taipei are among the qualifiers for the first time since 2008 after seeing off Bahrain and Laos in Group A.
VIETNAM
Group B winners
AFC Women’s Asian Cup regulars Vietnam are back for their ninth consecutive Finals, having breezed through qualifying as Asia’s highest scoring team with big wins against Maldives and Tajikistan.
INDONESIA
Group C winners
One of the feel-good stories of the qualifiers, Indonesia will end a 33-year drought when they line up for their opening India 2022 group stage match having defeated Singapore over two matches to win the Dushanbe-based Group C.
MYANMAR
Group D winners
Returning to the top table of Asian women’s football having missed the Finals in 2018, Myanmar overcame Lebanon, Guam and UAE to reach their fifth AFC Women’s Asian Cup, giving standout players like Win Theingi Tun and Khin Marlar Tun the opportunity to shine on the big stage.
SOUTH KOREA
Group E Winners
Ranked in the world’s top 20, and featuring some of Asia’s best players, South Korea were expected to qualify and they matched those expectations with commanding wins over Mongolia and Uzbekistan in Tashkent, with Ji So-yun setting the nation’s all-time scoring record in the process.
PHILIPPINES
Group F winners
The surprise packet at the previous AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Philippines ensured they will be there to try to better their sixth-place finish from Jordan 2018 after they managed a pair of narrow wins over Nepal and Hong Kong in Tashkent.
IRAN
Group G winners
Known as Team Melli Baanovaan, Iran will be the only AFC Women’s Asian Cup debutants in Thursday’s draw after they defeated Bangladesh, then emerged from a thrilling penalty shootout against Jordan to reach the pinnacle of the Asian women’s game for the very first time.
THAILAND
Group H winners
Champions in 1983, and semifinalists at Jordan 2018, Thailand will join Japan in participating in a record 17th AFC Women’s Asian Cup after they piled on 11 unanswered goals in impressive wins over Malaysia and Palestine.
The key dates
October 28, 2021: AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Official Draw
January 20, 2022: AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 opening match
February 6, 2022: AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Final
