Australia defeated North Korea 2-1 and qualified for the FIFA World Cup, where they will face either China or Taiwan in the Women’s Asian Cup semi-finals.
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Published March 13, 2026
Sam Kerr scored one goal and added another as Australia advanced to the Women’s Asian Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over North Korea and a place in the FIFA World Cup.
Three-time champions North Korea had nearly two-thirds of the ball possession on Friday and played at a high tempo to keep the Australians from getting upset, but they were unable to convert their abundant scoring opportunities into more goals against the Matildas’ stubborn defense.
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North Korea had 21 shots on goal and 10 on target, but could not capitalize. Australia managed just two shots on target.
Carr plays a key role in both.
In the 9th minute, Chelsea’s forward stole the ball from opposing captain Ahn Kook-hyang in the deep right corner and sent a cross into the area, where Alana Kennedy swooped in on the deflection and fired with her left foot for her fifth goal of the tournament.
Two minutes into the second half, Kerr took advantage of a gap in North Korea’s defense and scored a left-footed shot to make it 2-0, giving Australia a cushion as they advance to the 2023 World Cup semifinals.
However, North Korea increased their intensity once again, and in the 65th minute, Kim Kyung-young passed into the box from the left and Choi Eun-young scored from close range, reducing the gap to 2-1.
North Korea fired a series of shots towards Australia’s goal, but goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold blocked the equalizer.
Coach Kerr said, “It was a really good team performance on defense. (North Korea) was a good team, held the ball a lot, and put a lot of pressure on us.” “There were a lot of people in the audience today, so we crossed the line.”
Qualifying for the World Cup is still an option for North Korea
All four women’s Asian Cup semi-finalists will automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The Australians will next face the winner of defending champions China and Taiwan in Saturday’s quarter-final.
North Korea will have another chance to qualify for the World Cup in next week’s playoffs. The fifth and sixth place teams in the continental tournament will also qualify for Brazil.
The end of the group stage earlier this week was overshadowed by Iran’s withdrawal from the tournament and the granting of asylum to members of its delegation.
South Korea will take on Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia in a Sydney night match on Saturday after China and Taiwan play in Perth.
Japan heads into Sunday’s quarterfinal match against the Philippines with three wins from three games and the top scorer in the tournament with 17 points without allowing a goal.
