A 22-0 Victory Emerges in the Asian Qualifiers

14/10/2025 06:56:00 SportScoop

A staggering 22-0 win stunned spectators in the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, as Australia showcased overwhelming dominance, starting their campaign with a goal blitz against Northern Mariana Islands.

In Singapore, the Australian U17 women's team had an explosive debut in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers by thrashing the Northern Mariana Islands 22-0 in their opening Group E match on the evening of October 13th.

From the 2nd minute, Claire Corbett broke the deadlock, kicking off the goal fest. Star player Izabella Rako became the highlight with a four-goal haul (poker), while teammates Theodora Mouithys, Rubi Sullivan, Keira Sarris, Abbie Puckett, Sienna Calvanese, and Sakura Leong each found the net, helping Australia lead 10-0 by halftime.

The Australian U17 women's team secured a crushing victory in their opening match (Photo: AFC)

In the second half, Coach Rae Dower’s young squad maintained their dominance. Maeve Nicholas quickly scored early in the half, followed by Rako completing her four-goal tally in the 51st minute. Then Tyra Bagiante netted twice (53’, 57’), while Calvanese added goals at the 60th and 70th minutes. Goals from Willa Pearson, Leyla Hussein, and Nicholas finalized the 22-0 triumph — one of the most lopsided results in the history of the continental youth tournament.

With this victory, Australia temporarily tops Group E and is nearly certain to advance, demonstrating superior physicality, technique, and speed. In the next round, Northern Mariana Islands will face Singapore on October 15th, while Australia will take on the host nation two days later.

Xuất hiện chiến thắng 22-0 tại vòng loại giải châu Á 721664 — The 22-0 scoreline also marked the largest margin of victory on the first day of qualifiers (Photo: AFC)

Not only Australia, but Southeast Asia also witnessed another impressive start when Thailand’s U17 women's team crushed Turkmenistan 17-0 in Group F. This win, alongside Australia’s, created two goal-fests on opening day, affirming the strength of Southeast Asian women's football on the continental stage.

Regional teams are showing structured investment, aiming to secure a spot in the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup finals in China, a tournament expected to feature the region’s top young talents.