China clinches World Cup qualification with a thrilling extra-time victory.

The Chinese women's national team triumphed 2-0 over Taiwan (China), thereby obtaining the second berth for the Asian women's semifinals and a direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup.

The Chinese women's national team experienced a challenging 120 minutes against Taiwan (China) before securing a 2-0 victory in the 2026 Asian Women's Quarterfinals on March 14th. With this result, China became the second team to advance to the semifinals and also secured an early qualification for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027.

From the start of the match, the team that has won the Asian championship nine times controlled the game and created numerous dangerous opportunities. Wu Haiyan provided an early assist for Shao Ziqin's header, but the ball missed the goalpost. Meanwhile, Taiwan (China) opted for a deep defensive stance, waiting for counterattack chances. They nearly surprised China in the 13th minute when Chen Yu-Chin advanced and delivered a favorable pass to Chen Jin-Wen, but the striker missed a close-range header.

China maintained pressure in the second half with attempts from Wang Shuang, Zhang Rui, and Shao Ziqin. However, Taiwan (China)'s tight defense and the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Cheng Ssu-Yu posed difficulties for China's attackers. The goalkeeper made several crucial saves, while Yao Wei's shot late in the second half struck the crossbar. The two teams drew 0-0 after 90 minutes and proceeded to extra time.

The turning point came in the 94th minute when Wang Shuang delivered a precise pass to Shao Ziqin, who surged forward, lofted the ball over goalkeeper Ssu-Yu, and scored the opening goal for China. Later, Taiwan avoided a second goal when Ssu-Yu successfully blocked Wurigumula's penalty kick.

Nevertheless, by the 118th minute, China's sustained pressure finally translated into a decisive goal. From a flank combination, Wurigumula crossed into the penalty area, causing Chen Ying-Hui to awkwardly concede an own goal.

The 2-0 victory secured China's place in the semifinals, where they will face host nation Australia in the match for a spot in the final. Meanwhile, Taiwan (China) will enter a playoff match to continue pursuing their World Cup qualification hopes.