As India gears up to host the 20th edition of the women's AFC Asian Cup at three venues in Maharashtra, here are some highlights of the continent's football showpiece. (More Football News)
20th edition India 2022:
*Oldest player: Kim Jung-mi (Korea) - 37 years, 87 days
*Youngest player: Shilky Devi Hemam (India) - 16 years, 49 days
*Most capped player: Waraporn Boonsing (Thailand) - 55
*Most international goals: Pitsamai Sornsai (Thailand) - 77
*Most AFC Women’s Asian Cup selections: Waraporan Boonsing, Sunisa Srangthaisong (both Thailand), Lydia Williams (Australia) - 6.
*Highest ranked team: Australia - 11
*Lowest ranked team: Iran - 70
*Most overseas-based players: Australia, Philippines - 17
*Fewest overseas-based players: India, Vietnam - 0.
Historical Highlights:
*India has featured in eight earlier editions of the tournament, having finished runners-up in 1979 and 1983, and third in 1981.
*India has earlier hosted the tournament in 1979.
*Japan, who won the last two editions of the marque event, defeating Australia 1-0 on each occasion, and China are the only teams to have won more than two successive editions of the tournament.
*China won the title for an unprecedented seven editions on the trot from 1986 to 1999 before adding another in 2006.
*Korea has featured in the summit clash of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on four occasions, the most of any team that has never won the tournament.
*Australia has competed in the final of the four of the last five editions of the tournament, though they have managed to win only on one occasion.
*Japan and Thailand have each competed in 16 editions of the AFC Asian Cup, more than any other team in the history of the competition.
*Debutant Iran will be the 22nd different nation to compete in the tournament.
*China has scored five goals per game in the AFC Women’s Asia Cup, more than any other team in the history of the competition. North Korea (4.6) and Japan (4.6) are tied for second.
*South Korea made the most passes per sequence (3) and the longest average passing sequence time (8.4 seconds) of any team in the 2018 edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
*Sam Kerr is one short of her 50th international goal for Australia and she would then equal Tim Cahill for the most goals scored by an Australian in international football. Five of her 49 goals have been scored at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
