Tangerang: Taiwan’s women’s soccer team has officially qualified for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia after defeating Indonesia 2-1 in Tangerang, Indonesia, to top their qualifying group. The victory ensures Taiwan’s place in the prestigious tournament set to be held in Australia.

According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan broke a 1-1 tie with Indonesia in the 75th minute thanks to a long-range strike from substitute Liu Yu-chiao, securing their spot in the Asian Cup. Taiwan competed in qualification Group D, which included Indonesia, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with only the group winner advancing to the finals in Australia.

After Pakistan’s victory over Kyrgyzstan earlier on the same day, Taiwan was virtually assured of winning the group following their impressive 8-0 win over Pakistan and a 3-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan in previous matches. A loss to Indonesia would have resulted in a three-way tie with the hosts and Pakistan, but Taiwan’s superior goal difference would have still secured their advancement unless they lost by a significant margin.

This win marks Taiwan’s second consecutive appearance in the quadrennial Asian Cup finals and their 16th appearance in the tournament overall. Taiwan has previously won the competition three times, in 1977, 1979, and 1981, and finished as runners-up in 1989 and 1999. The last time Taiwan reached the semifinals was in the 1999 tournament held in the Philippines. In the 2022 edition in India, Taiwan reached the quarterfinals but was eliminated by the Philippines in a penalty shootout.

A total of 11 teams have qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup finals, including host country Australia, defending champion China, and 2022 runners-up South Korea and Japan. Other teams advancing through qualifying are North Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, India, and Bangladesh. One remaining spot will be determined by the winner of Group A, which includes Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Singapore, and Bhutan, set to begin play on Monday.