Japan wins Asian Cup
Japan beat Australia 1-0 to win the AFC Women’s Asian Cup at Sydney’s Accor Stadium — Maika Hamano struck a stunning long-range winner and the final drew a record crowd of over 74,000 on March 21. It’s Japan’s third title in the last four editions, and coach Nils Nielsen praised the squad’s adaptability after a tight tournament run. (sportstar.thehindu.com) (reuters.com)
Maika Hamano’s winner came in the 17th minute after she took a pass with her back to goal, turned and fired a low strike from just outside the box that beat Australia keeper Mackenzie Arnold at the near post. (apnews.com) The goalscorer is 21 years old and plays in the English WSL on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Chelsea; her Japan profile listed 31 caps and nine international goals as of March 21, 2026. (en.wikipedia.org) Japan’s route to the final included a 7-0 quarter-final rout of the Philippines that, according to the Japan Football Association, sealed the team’s 10th consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup berth. (jfa.jp) In the semi-final against Korea Republic Japan won 4-1 while making seven changes to the starting XI, a rotation the JFA noted as evidence of the squad’s depth. (jfa.jp) Across its five matches in Australia Japan scored prolifically and conceded very little — reporting outlets counted 28 goals for and just one against during the tournament. (abc.net.au) Riko Ueki finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, the competition produced 97 goals in total and organisers recorded aggregate attendance of 358,414 across the event. (en.wikipedia.org)
