CommBank Matilda Alanna Kennedy said that the team’s performance was “immense” in their 2-1 victory over Korea DPR on Friday evening.
The result means that Australia will play either China or Chinese Taipei in the semi-final. It also secured qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.
“We knew that we had to weather the storm at times, keep our emotions at bay and fight,” she said.
“It was going to be a fight the whole game. The performance from everyone was immense. Everyone - from all players who started the game and finished the game, and the energy from the bench, and even the crowd too. It was amazing.”
Kennedy is an unexpected leader in the golden boot race for the tournament, scoring her fifth goal to give Australia the lead in the first-half.
“[The golden boot] was one of my goals before the tournament… of course not!” she joked.
“It wasn't something that I expected. I'm just happy to help the team.
“You want to contribute and do anything you can to help a team win. So for that [scoring a goal] to come off, and get us into the game and give us that confidence, was a nice feeling.”
Her role further up the field has put her into closer contact with Sam Kerr on the pitch. While she stopped short of saying that they were directly working together on the pitch, she explained that they had an understanding from years of playing on the same team.
“We've had a nice, I wouldn't say partnership, but connection over the years,” she said.
“It’s been nice to play a little bit closer to her. It’s been fun.”
Her experience at centre-back allowed her to drop into the back line at points during the game, allowing full-backs Kaitlyn Torpey and Ellie Carpenter to advance further forward.
“It's obviously very nuanced,” she said of the team’s tactics.
“When you've got players who can play multiple positions, it's nice to keep it fluid. We all understand each other well, so we try and adapt when we need to. It’s working for us at the moment, and hopefully we continue.”
With either China PR or Chinese Taipei up next, Kennedy is taking nothing for granted as she looks ahead to the semi-final.
“Any knockout game in this tournament is tough. Every team is quality, so it'll be a tough one again,” she said.
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Semi-Final
CommBank Matildas v China PR
Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth
Time: 6:00pm AWST/ 9:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Radio: ABC Sport & ABC Listen
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