AFC Women’s Asia Cup:
Iran to face Australia, South Korea, Philippines in group phase
Iran was drawn against Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines in Group A of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asia Cup – starting March 1 in Australia.
The draw for the 21st edition of the flagship continental event took place at the Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday, where 12 teams were split into three groups.
Marzieh Jafari’s girls will begin their campaign against South Korea on March 2, before taking on their formidable hosts in Gold Coast three days later.
The final round of the group phase will see Iran face the Philippines on March 8.
The top two in each group will be joined by the two best third-place teams in the quarterfinals.
Iranian girls secured a second appearance in the finals in dramatic fashion earlier in July, defeating Jordan 2-1 in a must-win final game in Group A of the qualifiers to beat the host to the top spot of the table on head-to-head criteria.
Elsewhere in the draw, North Korea, China, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh were drawn in Group B, with Japan, Vietnam, India, and the Chinese Taipei completing the lineup in Group C.