Overview
- Australia opened the Women’s Asian Cup with a 1-0 win over the Philippines in Perth, secured by Sam Kerr’s 14th‑minute header for her 70th international goal.
- A tournament‑record crowd of 44,379 attended the opener, highlighting strong local interest as Australia began its campaign.
- Iran lost 3-0 to South Korea on the Gold Coast, and head coach Marziyeh Jafari and captain Zahra Ghanbari declined to comment on the weekend’s strikes and the confirmed death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a pregame news conference.
- Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said the nation “cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” casting doubt on June fixtures in the United States as FIFA said it is monitoring developments.
- Reporting on tournament procedures notes FIFA could replace a withdrawn team at its discretion, with Iraq or the United Arab Emirates mentioned as potential candidates, while some Iranian supporters displayed pre‑revolution Lion and Sun flags in Australia.