First timers Bangladesh drawn in Group B for AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026

Dubai: Bangladesh’s women’s football team, having qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in history, has been placed in a challenging Group B alongside defending champions China, DPR Korea (North Korea), and Uzbekistan. The tournament will be held in Australia from March 1 to 21 next year.

The official draw ceremony took place on Tuesday at Sydney Town Hall, where 12 teams were divided into three groups. As debutants, Bangladesh will be eager to make their presence felt after a stellar performance in the qualifiers, where they topped Group C in Myanmar with a perfect record to book their historic spot in the continental showpiece.

A strong showing in the Asian Cup could pave the way for the Tigresses to compete in the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.

Earlier, eight teams secured their place in the 21st edition of the tournament through the qualifiers held from June 23 to July 19. Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, India, Iran, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam joined hosts Australia and the top three teams from the 2022 edition — champions China, runners-up Korea Republic, and third-place Japan — who all received automatic qualification.

Group A: Australia, Korea Republic, Philippines, Iran

Group B: Bangladesh, DPR Korea, China PR, Uzbekistan

Group C: Japan, Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, India