World No.19-ranked China missed out on Olympic qualification,but beat South Korea in the 2022 Asian Cup final to win their second continental crown after Australia was eliminated in the quarter-finals of that tournament.

The Matildas and the ‘Steel Roses’ last met in February 2020,whenan injury-time strike from Emily van Egmond was needed for Australia to secure a nervy 1-1 draw in qualifiers for the last Olympics in Tokyo - a series of matches that were originally due to be played in Wuhan,China,just as COVID-19 was starting to spread around the globe.

The Matildas will return to action next month for a friendly against Mexico in San Antonio,Texas,and have one other window just before the Olympics in July,which is likely to be spent in Europe,although no matches have yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile,the Australian players’ union has slammed the Asian Football Confederation for forcing the Young Matildas to play in ankle-deep snow in Tashkent,conditions they described as “unacceptable and dangerous”.

The Young Matildas - the national under-20s women’s team - came from behind to beat South Korea 2-1 on Sunday night at the under-20 Asian Cup,which is being held in Uzbekistan. But Professional Footballers Australia said it was a “miracle” no players were injured after playing on a pitch at Do’stlik Stadium which was covered in a thick layer of snow. While efforts were made to clear parts of the surface to ensure that field markings were visible,there was so much snow that it stopped the ball from rolling dead in its tracks,while players had to dig it away with their bare hands just to place the ball for free kicks.

Current and former Matildas,including Amy Chapman and Alex Chidiac,questioned why the match was allowed to go ahead in such circumstances on social media.

Kate Gill,the PFA co-chief executive who played 86 times for Australia,referred back to the 2010 Asian Cup - where Australia played every match on the same deteriorating pitch,and with minimal rest and recovery in between fixtures - and said nothing has changed when it came to the AFC’s policies more than a decade later.

“The AFC’s approach to pitch safety and fixturing ... continues to risk the players’ health and safety,and undermines their ability to be at their best on the region’s biggest stage,” Gill said.

“Until the AFC recognises that their unilateral approach is to the detriment of their football product,the AFC will continue to fall significantly short of other confederations that have recognised the need to improve the conditions and regulations of their women’s continental championships,for the betterment of all involved.”

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