Sydney, Feb 19 (IANS) Football Australia (FA) on Thursday named a 26-player squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026. Head coach Joe Montemurro selected eight players set to feature at the tournament for the first time.

The squad will be led by captain Sam Kerr, who is set to play at her fifth Asian Cup. Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter were named vice-captains. Forward Mary Fowler returns to the Matildas setup for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury while playing for Manchester City in April 2025.

The tournament will be Montemurro’s first major competition as Matildas head coach since his appointment in June 2025. “The team is ready, focused, and determined to make the nation proud, and we look forward to sharing this moment with fans across the country,” Montemurro said in an FA media release.

Australia will open its campaign against the Philippines in Perth on March 1, before playing its remaining group-stage matches on the Gold Coast and in Sydney.

Australia, who won the Women’s Asian Cup in 2010 and finished runner-up in 2006, 2014, and 2018, are in Group A with South Korea, Iran, and the Philippines. Group B comprises North Korea, China, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan, while Group C have Japan, Vietnam, India, and Chinese Taipei.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 will serve as the final stage of Asian qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. This will be the last time the qualifications will be linked, as a standalone qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held starting from the 2031 edition onwards.

The matches in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 will be played at two venues each in Sydney and Perth, and one venue in the Gold Coast.

The 12 teams that have qualified for this event have been placed in three groups of four teams each. The top two teams of each group and the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarterfinals.

–IANS

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