The 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament was held over three rounds from the 1st of April 2023 til the 28th of February 2024. The tournament was organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to determine which two teams would represent the Asian continent at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
First round draw
The 5 highest ranked Asian teams got a bye in round 1, based on the world rankings. These five countries were:
- North Korea (10)
- Japan (11)
- Australia (12)
- China (14)
- South Korea (15)
- Pot 1: Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Phillippines & India
- Pot 2: Iran, Jordan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Nepal, Kyrgzystan & Mongolia
- Pot 3: Palestine, Singapore, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Tajikistan & East-Timor
- Pot 4: Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Bhutan & Afghanistan
Round 1 – Group Winners
After the first round group stages the following teams qualified for the second round of the competition:
- Group A: Uzbekistan
- Group B: Iran
- Group C: Vietnam
- Group D: Thailand
- Group E: Phillippines
- Group F: Chinese Taipei
- Group G: India
The Second Round
In the second round, teams were once again placed in pots and divided over three groups. Each team played each-other once, with games all held in one single country to minimize the extensive travel over different timezones.
- Group A: Australia, Philippines, Iran & Chinese Taipei
- Group B: North Korea, South Korea, China & Thailand
- Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam & India
The Third Round
With only 4 teams left the final round would consist of two teams, playing a two-legged match (home & away) to determine who would qualify for the Olympics. Australia got matched against Uzbekistan, and the quality difference between the two teams was absolutely gigantic. In the first match in Uzbekistan the score was ‘only’ 3-0, but the amount of chances missed by the Matildas looked to be a bit concerning. However, in a sold out Docklands Stadium in Melbourne the Matildas showed the home crowd, that they really can turn it on if they want to, winning in a whopping 10-0 (Heyman scored 4 goals). The other match up between North Korea and Japan proved to be way more close. The first match ended in a draw, and Japan managed to get a close 2-1 win over North Korea to secure their spot at the Paris Olympics.
- Australia – Uzbekistan (3-0 & 10-0)
- Japan – North Korea (0-0 & 2-1)
