Key Points
- The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand kicks off on 20 July.
- While the Philippines and Vietnam are making their debuts, China, Japan and Republic Korea will hope to improve on recent performances.
- The Asian teams face challenges, including a lack of professional opportunities, but insiders say progress is being made.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kicks off this week with host nations Australia facing debutants Republic of Ireland and New Zealand playing 1995 winner Norway.
The member nations of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have waited four long years to prove themselves since the 2019 tournament, when Australia, China and Japan were all knocked out in the round of 16.
While the US and European nations have traditionally dominated the stage, China (runner-up in 1999), Japan (winner in 2011 and runner-up in 2015) and Republic of Korea will hope to impress in a tournament close to home.
The AFC heavyweights will be joined by the Philippines and Vietnam, who are making their World Cup debuts.
Each country has faced its own unique set of challenges heading into the tournament.
China
Coming off a huge win at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, ending a 16-year drought for the trophy, the 'Steel Roses' have no doubt earned the nation's respect.
The win, which has inspired a new generation of footballers, also sparked a fierce debate about the wage gap between women's and men's teams.
In response, many Chinese firms such as Alipay stepped up to offer cash prizes, with the estimating the team earned US$4.7 million after the win.
Despite unprecedented financial backing, including a partnership with luxury brand Prada for their official wear, China has not been quite as lucky on the pitch, being drawn in the Group D "group of death" with Denmark, Haiti and England.
Melbourne-based sports commentator Li Pingkang told SBS Chinese, "The three opponents won't be easy. There is a chance of competing for the group stage. But the team will need to prepare very, very hard."
However, for loyal fans like Adelaide student Trinity, who has already bought tickets for all China's matches held in his city, hopes are high for the Chinese community to rally behind the team.
"I hope to break out of the group stage, advance to the knockout stage, and finally reach the final. I believe the Chinese team has this ability," he said.
With a lineup of veterans including Wang Shuang, who currently plays in the US, Wang Shanshan, former Asian Player of the Year, and Tang Jiali, the first Chinese player in the Women's Super League (WSL), China holds a great chance of progressing.
Japan
Japan's historic World Cup win in 2011 brought joy to a nation still devastated by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.
While that success brought increased recognition for women's football, 'Nadeshiko Japan' has failed to produce results more recently, succumbing to a shock quarterfinal exit at the 2020 Olympic Games on home soil.
Acknowledging the immense speed at which American and European women's football has developed, Japan's head coach Futoshi Ikeda that the country has been "making every effort to catch up".
This includes the establishment of a women's professional league, dubbed the WE (Women Empowerment) League, almost 30 years after the men's J-League.
"To be in contention for the final is so important for the development of women's football in the country," Ikeda said.
Ikeda has selected his 23-member squad "with confidence", and it includes nine overseas-based players, up from two in the previous tournament, headlined by Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, Portland Thorns' Hina Sugita and Angel City's Jun Endo.
Japan player Mina Tanaka (C) celebrates after scoring the 1-1, during a friendly soccer match between Portugal and Japan, ahead of Women's World Cup 2023 preparation, at D. Afonso Henriques stadium in Guimaraes, Portugal, 07 April 2023. Credit: ESTELA SILVA/EPA/AAP Image
With the real possibility of a tournament blackout at home, many fans took to social media to question how serious the country was about improving women's football.
Accompanying the team to a World Cup for the first time is chef Yoshiteru Nishi, who has been with the men's side since 2004. To highlight his key role, Nishi could be seen wearing a captain's armband in Japan's official Qatar World Cup 2022 squad photo.
Japan's chef, Yoshiteru Nishi, will no doubt play a key role in the World Cup. Credit: Japan Football Association
Hungry to reclaim its champion's trophy, Japan beat Panama 5-0 in its last friendly before the tournament.
Republic of Korea
South Korean players have recently been making a mark in European football, including Ji-So-Yun (who spent six years at Chelsea), Cho So-hyun (Tottenham) and Lee Geum-min (Brighton).
Still, when it comes to the World Cup, the furthest the 'Taegeuk Ladies' have progressed is the round of 16.
In the hope of bringing out the team's full potential, England-born Colin Bell was appointed head coach in 2019, the first foreigner to hold the position.
His contract was recently renewed until the end of 2024, showing the great trust - and expectation - placed on his shoulders, after the team finished runner-up at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
Republic of Korea head coach Colin Bell at Sydney airport. Credit: SBS Korean
While the country is yet to see a professional women's league, the sport is growing fast, says SBS Korean producer Justin Park, pointing to TV programs like "Kick a Goal", where celebrities and legendary players gather to showcase women's football.
Many eyes will be on the Casey Eugene Phair. Born to an American father and a South Korean mother, she is the first player of mixed heritage to represent the women's team at a World Cup.
The Republic of Korea has comfortably won its last three friendlies and the team can be confident of strong support from Australia's Korean community, which turned out in great voice for the 2015 Men's Asia Cup final against Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
"We will cooperate with Korean communities so that various and systematic cheering can take place at the stadium," Taewoo Lee, Consul General of the Republic of Korea, told SBS Korean.
"This World Cup is a good opportunity for the Korean community in Australia to unite and support our national team together."
The Philippines
While the Filipinas have long been active in Southeast Asian women's football, winning the 2022 AFF Women's Championship, this will be their very first time at a World Cup.
This historic milestone is a "source of national pride," explains SBS Filipino's executive producer Edinel Magtibay.
Although football may not be as popular as basketball and boxing, the recent success of the national team, led by Australian and former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, has helped the sport gain momentum.
The establishment of local leagues and grassroots programs has also contributed to its growth.
The Filipinas are made of a diverse mix of players, but among them are two familiar faces, Jaclyn Sawicki and Angie Beard, who both play with Western United in the A-League. Beard made three appearances for the Matildas before switching allegiances to the Philippines national team.
Canadian-born Jaclyn Sawicki. Credit: MARIA MONTAYRE/Philippine Women's National Football Team
"This is my way of giving back and showing her that I am proud to be Filipino, even though I grew up in a different culture," she told SBS Filipino.
The Filipinas will face Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway.
"Technically and tactically, we might be behind ... But we all have that fight and that passion, and that drive, and all the work that we've put in in such a small time," she said.
as the country failed to secure broadcast rights until Cignal TV raised their hand in the eleventh hour.
While all the Filipina's group matches will be played in New Zealand, there are plenty of fans here in Australia, as hundreds gathered to farewell the team after their stopover in Sydney last week.
Vietnam
While football is arguably the most popular sport in Vietnam, the women's game is still emerging.
The Golden Star Women Warriors, as the national team is known, was only established in 1990 and it was another seven years before they played their first match.
Reaching the World Cup for the first time was an achievement in its self. And it wasn't easy, with 20 players out of the squad of 23 infected with COVID-19 while preparing for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, getting the all-clear just before the tournament kicked off.
Despite this, the team reached the quarterfinals. Although they lost to eventual champion, China, they came out on top against Thailand and Chinese Taipei in the playoff to earn a spot on the world stage.
While the team faces tough opponents in the form of Netherlands, Portugal and the US, the Vietnamese community of New Zealand is buzzing with excitement.
"The community are thrilled and excited to welcome the team here in Aotearoa," says Quang Tran, a member of Baton FC, a Vietnamese football team in Auckland, since 2020.
"It's a very rare occasion for the Vietnamese and we’re really proud of them for getting through the qualifiers."
The community is selling Vietnamese flags, T-shirts and stickers to provide a home-away-from-home atmosphere.
"People are trying every possible way to communicate and help the team out. Providing the team with anything they need so that they would feel right at home," says SBS Vietnamese producer Thuy Nguyen.
Much attention will be on Huynh Nhu, who signed with Portugal's Länk FC Vilaverdense last year, becoming the first Vietnamese female player to join a professional club in Europe.
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