Japan beat Australia 1-0 to win AFC Women’s Asian Cup title
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Sydney: Japan continued their impressive run in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, defeating hosts Australia 1-0 in the final at Stadium Australia on Saturday. With this victory, Japan lifted the title for the third time in tournament history, having previously won in 2014 and 2018—both times also at Australia’s expense.
The decisive moment came in the 17th minute when Maika Hamano struck a curling effort from outside the penalty area that beat Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and found the bottom corner. While Hamano’s first-half goal proved decisive, Japan’s win was equally credited to a disciplined defensive performance, particularly goalkeeper Yamashita, who thwarted several Australian attempts.
Australia started strongly in front of a record-breaking crowd of 74,397, with striker Mary Fowler initiating a precise long ball to Caitlin Foord, who set up captain Sam Kerr for a shot brilliantly saved by Yamashita. Another early attempt in the 11th minute was similarly stopped by Japan’s resolute defence.
After conceding, Japan took control of the game with their trademark passing style. However, they almost gifted Australia an equaliser following a misplaced clearance by Yamashita that fell to Foord, whose shot was deflected away by Hana Takahashi. Late in the first half, Japan had a chance to extend their lead when Hikaru Kitagawa found a sight on goal due to a defensive error, but Arnold reacted quickly to deny the effort.
The second half saw a lively contest, with Japan probing for a second goal while Australia gradually dominated possession and created chances. Kyra Cooney-Cross attempted a long-range shot after winning the ball in midfield, but Yamashita collected it comfortably. In the final stages, Japan adopted a defensive strategy to hold onto their 1-0 lead, successfully repelling all Australian attacks.
Japan’s victory in Sydney marks their third AFC Women’s Asian Cup title and reinforces their dominance over Australia in the tournament finals.
With IANS inputs
