CommBank Matildas defender Clare Hunt said that the team was excited for the challenge of taking on Korea DPR in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on Friday.
She was speaking from Perth on Wednesday morning as the team continues their preparation for the all-important clash.
“The vibe is pretty good [in camp],” she said.
“We travelled to Perth the day after the game [against Korea Republic], and everyone's feeling fairly refreshed after yesterday - we got a training session in for the girls who haven't had as many minutes or haven't played too much.
“We were all prepared for this coming into the tournament. We would have loved to stay in Sydney, but it's the way the tournament has gone for us. Being in Perth, and remaining in Perth, is not too bad for us.
“We’re excited to play on Friday, and whatever circumstances arise, we will adapt. We’re excited to see where we go.”
The team have not come up against Korea DPR since 2016, and none of the Korea DPR players from that squad are present at the tournament this year. From Hunt’s perspective, not much changes about the squad’s preparation for the game.
“We’ve seen how they play throughout the tournament,” she said.
“We have enough to prepare, enough to play against them, and know where their strengths and weaknesses are and how we might exploit some of those weaknesses to come away with the win.
“They're quite strong physically, and that's part of their game. Anyone who watches the Matildas knows that we are also fantastic physically. It’s strength v strength against Korea DPR. For us, it's just focusing on what we can do and where we can exploit some of their weaknesses.
“It's always a challenge. Their style of play is slightly different to what we might experience or have experienced previously in the tournament or in our club. We're quite excited for the challenge and looking forward to Friday night.”
Hunt acknowledged that there was always going to be some pressure on the team at a home tournament. However, it is something that the team is used to, and they do not let it worry them too much.
“The pressure is ultimately always going to be there when you have a home tournament,” she said.
“We’re just focusing on our roles. To be honest, it's not a big factor in how we prepare. We’re just focusing on ourselves and looking forward to Friday night.”
She also had some special praise for her centre-back partner, Winonah Heatley, who she has lined up alongside during this tournament.
“She's been a 6 [defensive midfielder] and also a centre-back within the team, and it's been great to play alongside her,” she said.
“We’ve developed as a partnership, but also developed individually at our own clubs throughout the last 6-12 months. Wini’s move to Roma has been fabulous for her, and I can see her improvement on the pitch as well. It’s been great to play alongside her throughout this tournament.”
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™
CommBank Matildas v Korea DPR
Date: Friday, 13 March 2026
Venue: Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth
Time: 6:00pm AWST/9:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Radio: ABC Sport & ABC Listen
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