The AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 is set to kick off on January 20, 2022 in India. The 2022 tournament has been expanded to 12 teams, with three groups comprising of four teams each. The top two teams will directly qualify for the quarter-final stage, while the two best third-placed teams will also progress.
While Japan are the defending champions, the Australian team are one of the favourites to win the tournament.
They have been drawn in Group B andwill fight against Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia in the round-robin stage.
Australia won the competition once in 2006 and are three-times runners-up.
The Matildas had a wonderful Olympic campaign in Tokyo where they finished fourth, their best-ever performance in the history of the tournament. Although they were placed in the supposed 'Group of Death' they navigated to the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams. In the quarterfinals, they beat Great Britain with Ellen White scoring a hat-trick. The semifinal against Sweden broke television viewing records in Australia with 2.32 million viewers tuning in. However, they went down narrowly by a goal, and also saw Sam Kerr's goal disallowed.
Following their sojourn in Japan, they have played quality sides like Brazil and world number one United States in their own backyard as part of their preparations for the AFC Women's Asian Cup.
Tony Gustavsson has got an ideal blend of youth and experience in his squad. He handed 13 international debuts in 2021 and at the same time saw a record number of players reaching the 100th cap milestone, including skipper Sam Kerr.
Group B Table
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | +23 | 9 |
| 3 | Philippines | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 |
2 | Thailand | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 3 |
4 | Indonesia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | -28 | 0 |
GettyGroup B Fixtures and Results
| Date | Time | Stadium | Fixture | Score |
| January 21, 2022 | 3:30 pm | Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai | Australia vs Indonesia | 18-0 |
| January 21, 2022 | 5:30 pm | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | Thailand vs Philippines | 0-1 |
| January 24, 2022 | 3:30 pm | Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai | Philippines vs Australia | 0-4 |
| January 24, 2022 | 5:30 pm | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | Indonesia vs Thailand | 0-4 |
| January 27, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai | Australia vs Thailand | 2-1 |
| January 27, 2022 | 7:30 pm | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | Philippines vs Indonesia | 6-0 |
Quarterfinals
Date | Time | Stadium | Fixture | Score |
January 30 | 1:30 pm | Balewadi Stadium, Pune | Australia vs South Korea |
Australia Squad
| Name | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|
Lydia Williams | Arsenal FC | Goalkeeper |
Teagan Micah | FC Rosengard | Goalkeeper |
Mackenzie Arnold | West Ham United | Goalkeeper |
Courtney Nevin | Melbourne Victory | Defender |
Aivi Luik | Pomigilano | Defender |
Clare Polkinghorne | Vittsjo | Defender |
Steph Catley | Arsenal FC | Defender |
Charlotte Grant | FC Rosengard | Defender |
Tameka Yallop | West Ham United | Defender |
Alanna Kennedy | Manchester City | Defender |
Ellie Carpenter | Olympique Lyonnais | Defender |
Kyra Cooney-Cross | Melbourne Victory | Midfielder |
Emily van Egmond | Newcastle Jets | Midfielder |
Clare Wheeler | Fortuna Hjorring | Midfielder |
Cortnee Vine | Sydney FC | Forward |
Caitlin Foord | Arsenal FC | Forward |
| Mary Fowler | Montpellier | Forward |
Emily Gielnik | Aston Villa | Forward |
| Hayley Raso | Manchester City | Forward |
| Kyah Simon | Tottenham Hotspur | Forward |
| Sam Kerr | Chelsea | Forward |
| Holly McNamara | Melbourne City | Forward |
| Remy Siemsen | Sydney FC | Forward |
How to watch Australia at the AFC Women's Asian Cup?
| Country | Broadcaster | Online Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| India | Eurosport | |
Australia |
Australia National Team Results in 2021
Australia have played 16 matches in 2021. Out of them they have won three, drawn four, and have lost the rest.
Date | Competition | Fixture | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
April 10 | Friendly | Germany vs Australia | 5-2 |
April 13 | Friendly | Netherlands vs Australia | 5-0 |
June 10 | Friendly | Denmark vs Australia | 3-2 |
June 15 | Friendly | Sweden vs Australia | 0-0 |
July 14 | MS&AD Cup | Japan vs Australia | 1-0 |
July 21 | Olympics Group Stage | Australia vs New Zealand | 2-1 |
July 24 | Olympics Group Stage | Sweden vs Australia | 4-2 |
July 27 | Olympics Group Stage | United States vs Australia | 0-0 |
July 30 | Olympics Quarterfinals | Great Britain vs Australia | 3-4 |
August 2 | Olympics Semifinals | Australia vs Sweden | 0-1 |
August 5 | Olympics Bronze Medal playoff | Australia vs United States | 3-4 |
September 21 | Friendly | Ireland vs Australia | 3-2 |
October 23 | Friendly | Australia vs Brazil | 3-1 |
October 26 | Friendly | Australia vs Brazil | 2-2 |
November 27 | Friendly | Australia vs United States | 0-3 |
November 30 | Friendly | Australia vs United States | 1-1 |
More news about the WAC22 on the-afc.com