China 1-2 Australia Highlights, AFC Women’s Asian Cup: Sam Kerr's Matildas Knock Out Defending Champs, Enter Final

Hello everyone! We’re back with all the action as China take on Australia in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 semi-final. Stick around for every twist, goal, and moment right here.

The China vs Australia, AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 semi-final match will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website in India.

China and Australia have faced each other 44 times in women’s international matches. Australia have won 13 games, compared to 19 wins for China. 12 matches have ended as draws.

This is how China and Australia line up for the last-four encounter:

After the national anthems and other pre-game formalities, play gets underway in Perth. China kicking from right to left and Australia the other way in the first half.

Massive chance goes abegging in the fifth minute! Australia arrive on the verge of taking the lead as a Mary Fowler receives an excellent cross from Kaitlyn Torpey at the goalmouth, but shoots it way over the crossbar on first touch. That was as good an opportunity as the hosts can hope to get tonight.

China now crowding the Aussie box, pressing hard in their quest of an early opener. A series of shots in the 14th minute keep Mackenzie Arnold busy, but the Matildas are able to ward off the visitors' threat.

Australia have the opener in the 17th minute! Caitlin Foord nets with a superb right-footer from medium distance to put the Matildas ahead. It is Foord's 40th international goal, and her third in AFC Women's Asian Cups.

China have their equaliser in the 26th minute! Zhang Linyan wins a penalty after being brought down by Matildas' custodian Mackenzie Arnold in the box, and then converts it herself, calmly sending Arnold the wrong way. This match is crackling!

While the battle intensifies in Perth, let's take a quick look at the FIFA Women's World Cup qualification status from the ongoing tournament. In all, the AFC Women's Asian Cup offers six direct berths to Brazil 2027. Four of those spots are settled, as China, Australia, South Korea and Japan have advanced by entering the semi-finals.

The two remaining berths will be decided via playoffs, with losing quarter-finalists Uzbekistan and Philippines, and Chinese Taipei and North Korea facing off for those spots on March 19.

The regulation 45 minutes of the first half have elapsed and a minimum of three minutes are added as stoppage time.

An entertaining first half of football draws to a close at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. China did the early running and despite Australia's opener, restored parity via Zhang Linyan's penalty. All to play for in what could be a decisive second half.

The players are back from the lemon break and the second half begins. China now kicking from left to right and Australia the other way. The Steel Roses had 10 shots on goal to the Matildas' four in the first half. Let's see how that stat changes in the next 45 minutes.

The Perth crowd erupts in joy! Their home hero and Australia skipper Sam Kerr has put the team back in ascendance with a fleet-footed goal in the 58th minute. The first goal-scorer Caitlin Foord set it up for Kerr, who surged forward and sidestepped Chinese goalie Peng Shimeng before slotting it in from a tight angle.

China make their first substitution of the game in the 72nd minute. Wurigumula goes out and in comes Jin Kun. They follow it up with two more changes in the 78th: Liu Jung in for Wang Yanwen and Qingtong Li in for Zhang Rui.

The Aussies make two changes of their own: Clare Wheeler comes in for Kyra Cooney-Cross and Amy Sayer for Mary Fowler.

The regulation 90 minutes are up. Six minutes have been added to the second half. Can China make a late comeback?

It's all over! China fail to equalise in the dying minutes and Australia emerge 2-1 victors to knock out the reigning champions and book their place in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 final. The hosts will head to Sydney for the title clash on Saturday (March 21), where they will meet the winner of the second semi-final between South Korea and Japan.