South Korea 1-4 Japan Highlights, AFC Women’s Asian Cup: World-Class Nadeshiko Down Taeguk Ladies, Enter Final

Good afternoon, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering the Women’s Asian Cup semi-final between South Korea and Japan. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: South Korea Women vs Japan Women

• Series: AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026

• Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney

• Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

• Time: 2:30 PM IST

The AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 matches, including South Korea vs Japan, will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website in India. There will be no television broadcast of the match in the country.

Japan: 🏆x2 (2014, 2018); Runners-up x4 (1986, 1991, 1995, 2001)

South Korea: Runners-up x1 (2022)

The players are out of the tunnels and on to the pitch amid beautiful fireworks display at Stadium Australia. Korea Republic are seeking their second consecutive finals appearance, while Japan are looking for their third title in four years. Hosts Australia are waiting in the finals for today's winner. Time for the national anthems!

The referee blows her whistle, and Japan – in their all-blue kits – get the ball rolling in today's second semi-final. South Korea, in their orange kit, are attacking to the right.

It has been a brilliant start for Japan, with Fujino having a shot inside the opening minute that she dragged just wide of the post. Since then, the Nadeshiko have controlled most of the ball and have pushded the Korean players deep inside their own half.

How on earth are Japan not ahead?! A brilliant combination at the edge of the box results in Miyazawa teeing up Takahashi on the wings. The defender takes a superb strike, bringing out an equally terrific save from Kim. However, Hasegawa is there to poke in the rebound, but somehow fires it wide with an empty goal at her mercy. The Japanese head coach can't believe it!!

Japan have continued to dictate the tempo of the game, with Korea struggling to get out of their own half. Their attempts to play out from the back backfires spectacularly, with Nagano dispossessing Kim Shin-ji in the Korean box before cutting it back for Uegi. The forward makes no mistake with her first-time strike, which goes past the goalkeeper. Interestingly, Ueki now leads the Golden Boot race.

Fujino almost doubles Japan's lead. South Korea give the Japanese forward way too much time and space in front of the penalty area, and she unleashes a thunderous strike which flies just over the bar.

Hamano makes it two for Japan with a brilliant piece of individual goal! An overhit cross from the right is kept alive by the Spurs player, who beats two Korean defenders before pulling the trigger from an acute angle. The strike beats the reach of Kim and sneaks underneath the crossbar. Tears are streaming down from Hamano's face – some emotion on display!

Fujino finds the back of the net, but it won't count! A corner from the left is brilliantly headed back by Takahashi, and Fujino flicks it past Kim and into the back of the net. However, her celebrations are cut short as the offside flag goes up.

Most of the game is being played in and around the Korean penalty area. A good cross from the right reaches Fujino, but a loose touch from the forward leads to the defenders clearing. However, Japan soon regain possession.

South Korea make a substitution with less than five minutes to go in the first half regulation time. Yu-Gyeong Jeon is the one coming off, possibly due to an injury, with Hwa-Yeon Son taking her place.

Fujino finally gets her name on the scoresheet with a brilliant finish, and Japan are thrashing South Korea in the first half!! A swift pass from Ueki finds Fujino in acres of space, and she produces a world-class finish to curl the ball past Kim and finding the back of the net.

VAR asks the referee to take a look at the monitor, not sure what for. Turns out it for a possible handball by Kitagawa during the build-up of the goal, and the referee chalks off the goal. Thunderous applause from the Korean fans in the stadium, but it's a really harsh call from the officials.

Brilliant regrouping for South Korea, with Park Soo-Jeong almost pulling one back in the opening minute of stoppage time. However, the Taegeuk Ladies suffer another injury blow as Eun-Ju Mun suffers a knock, and she is replaced by So-Yun Ji. After over six minutes of stoppage time, the referee blows the whistle to bring the first half to an end.

The players are back from the lemon break and the second half kicks off. South Korea now kicking from right to left and Japan the other way. The Taegeuk Ladies need to show some enterprise early doors, otherwise they might find it hard to overcome the structured Japanese, one reckons.

Chance for Japan! Fuka Nagano surges forward and is almost in a one-on-one situation with the South Korean goalie, albeit at an acute angle. The midfielder tries to slot it past Kim Min Jung towards the far post but her shot goes wide. Another goal for the Nadeshiko and this match could be as good as over.

South Korea finally create a semblance of chance through the left flank, but it is nipped in the bud by the Japanese defence. The Nadeshiko then launch a swift counter, and Hamano comes close to scoring her second goal but her shot is caught safely by Min Jung.

South Korea garner a corner and the crowd erupts! That's how few and far attacking forays have been for the Taegeuk Ladies. It's a good delivery and Ayaka Yamashita does really well to come out of her post and hold on to the catch.

South Korea earn a free-kick in a potentially dangerous position, and opt to make two substitutions right then. Hyejeong Park is in for Kim Shinji and Chloe Yuri replaces Minyoung Jung. The setpiece, meanwhile is quelled by Japan.

Japan respond, and in emphatic style! The experienced Saki Kumagai comes to the party, scoring a rare international goal. It's a superb outswinging corner kick from Momoko Tanikawa and the 35-year-old heads it in powerfully to further peg back the Taeguk Ladies.

South Korea pull one back almost immediately! Kang Chae-rim dishes out a sizzling right-footed strike into the bottom right corner, and for once Yamashita has no reply. Can the Koreans forge a miraculous fightback?

Japan don't take the rejoinder lightly and pound another one in. Super sub Remina Chiba makes an instant impact with a clinical strike from her left foot, and South Korea now well and truly out of the contest.

Five minutes have been added as stoppage time to the second half. That's not nearly enough time for the Taeguk Ladies to pile in three goals, especially given Japan's defensive solidity. The Nadeshiko are marching towards a final date with Australia.

A lengthy VAR check ensues for a South Korea penalty, deep into stoppage time. But the referee rules against it eventually and after eight-odd minutes of added time, the final whistle is blown. Japan cap off their world-class display with a 4-1 thrashing of the Taeguk Ladies to set up a mouthwatering title clash with hosts Australia on March 21.