SYDNEY - Defending champion China came back from a goal down to beat the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) 2-1 in Sydney on Monday night and secure first place in Group B at the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

After falling behind to a Kim Kyong-yong counter-attack goal in the 32nd minute, defender Chen Qiaozhu drew China level two minutes later.

Chen, who was a standout in the middle of China's defense, received the ball on the edge of area from Shao Ziqin and fired a powerful shot into the bottom right corner.

Wang Shuang gave China a 2-1 lead before the interval when her goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time was awarded upon review.

The goal was initially ruled out, but the video assistant referee found that Zhang Chengxue was on side before she played the ball across the penalty area to set up a simple finish for Wang.

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It means that China will play the Group C runner-up, most likely Chinese Taipei or Vietnam, in the quarterfinal at the Perth Rectangular Stadium in Western Australia on Saturday afternoon, while DPRK will play host Australia at the same venue in the quarterfinal on Friday night.

The winners of the two Perth quarterfinals will face off in the semifinal at the larger Perth Stadium on the night of March 17 before the final in Sydney on March 21.

In a simultaneous Group B match on Monday night, Uzbekistan claimed third place with a 4-0 victory over Bangladesh. The result means that Uzbekistan could advance to the quarterfinal as one of the two best third-placed teams.