Defending champions China qualified for the 2027 World Cup with a semi-final match against hosts Australia.
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Published March 14, 2026
Defending champions China scored twice in extra time after defeating Taiwan 2-0 to book a spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asian Cup against hosts Australia.
In Saturday’s match, Xiao Zhiqing scored a stunning shot into the right corner in the 94th minute and earned a penalty in stoppage time in the second half.
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Substitute Willigmura missed the spot kick, but Chen Yinghui’s own goal sealed China’s victory at Perth Rectangular Stadium.
The win puts China on track for a record-extending 10th championship, and victory also secures a direct berth to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
They will face the Matildas at the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium on Tuesday after the hosts defeated North Korea 2-1 in the last eight.
China’s star midfielder Wang Shuang will be absent after receiving a yellow card for the second consecutive game.
“Of course she lost. Other players will have a chance,” China head coach Ante Milicic said.
“They’re very resilient. I’ll be rooting for them against any opponent.”
Taiwan will advance to a playoff against North Korea for an automatic spot in the World Cup.
“They gave their all on the pitch and showed their mental strength,” said Taiwan head coach Prasobchok Chokemol.
“We are still chasing our World Cup dream.”
The quarterfinals had political implications given China’s claims to the autonomous territory of Taiwan, which competes in international sporting events under the name “Chinese Taipei.”
This is part of a political compromise with China that allows China to participate in major competitions without demonstrating that it is a sovereign nation.
The crowd of 5,238 was relatively divided into fan groups, but the Taiwanese team was the most vocal.
Some Chinese fans wore shirts with the words “China is my faith” written on the back and held flags.
Like China, Taiwan has been a hot favorite at the tournament, but caused controversy in the stands during the final match in Sydney.
Former Taiwanese coach Chen Gui-ren was ejected from the stadium for leading a chant of “Taiwan Chia-yung” (“Go Taiwan”).
There did not appear to be any recurrence on Saturday.
Taiwan is known for their tenacious defense, but they showed off their offensive flair in the early battles.
China took control in midfield, dominated the ball and appeared to have a chance just before the interval, but Wang headed home, causing the Chinese fans to jubilate.
However, the celebrations were interrupted early in the match when the goal was overturned by Wang’s hand.
After the break, China gained momentum, but Taiwan also felt the threat of a counterattack.
At the end of regular time, the game went into overtime, and substitute Yao Wei’s bullet hit the crossbar, prompting Xiao to step up.
South Korea will play Uzbekistan and Japan will play the Philippines in the quarterfinals.
Sam Kerr scored one goal and added another as Australia qualified for the World Cup with a 2-1 win over North Korea on Friday.
South Korea will face Uzbekistan in the other quarter-final in Sydney later on Saturday.
On Sunday, Japan will play the quarterfinals against the Philippines, also in Sydney. Japan won 3 out of 3 games and did not concede a goal, scoring 17 points, the highest in the tournament.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final taking place next Saturday in Sydney.
All four women’s Asian Cup semi-finalists will automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
North Korea will once again aim for a spot in the World Cup in the playoffs to be held in Australia next Thursday. The fifth and sixth-placed teams in the continental competition 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.
