The country moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 and had reached the semi-finals at the five Women's Asian Cups since, including victory in 2010 and defeats in the last two finals against Japan.

Australia were the top-ranked side competing in India this year, and underlined their status as one of the favourites by topping Group B with 24 goals scored across three outings.

All-time leading scorer Sam Kerr had an off day for Australia at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, squandering several big opportunities to break the deadlock before South Korea were controversially awarded a penalty towards the end of the first half after Caitlin Foord was deemed to have fouled Lee Geum-min.

It took almost five minutes for the video assistant referee (VAR) and Chinese match official Qin Liang to award the spot kick, but Cho So-hyun blazed over when it was eventually taken.

Australia wanted a second-half penalty when Steph Catley was dragged to the floor but the officials disagreed, and their tournament came to an end when Ji fired into the top corner from 30 yards in the 87^th minute.

South Korea will fancy their chances of making a first ever Women's Asian Cup final, with the Philippines awaiting them in the last four.

They reached the semi-finals for the first time later in the day in Pune with a penalty shootout victory over Chinese Taipei, in which goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel scored and made two stops.

Quinley Quezada put the Philippines in front four minutes after the break, only for Zhuo Li-ping to force an extra 30 minutes when she struck a terrific 25-yard equaliser with eight left to play.

McDaniel's exploits in the shootout helped the Philippines to recover from misses by Jessica Miclat and Hali Long to progress 4-3.

In the other half of the draw, eight-time winners China came from behind to beat Vietnam 3-1 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung put Vietnam in front against the run of play after 11 minutes, only for Wang Shuang to level at the break.

Captain Wang Shanshan turned the contest on its head seven minutes into the second half, and moments later Tang Jiali gave China a more comfortable cushion.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Thùy had an opportunity to give Vietnam a glimmer of hope with two minutes remaining, but could only strike the bar from a penalty.

The 2014 and 2018 winners Japan had the most comfortable afternoon of the quarter-finalists later on in Navi Mumbai, thrashing Thailand 7-0 to set up a semi-final with China.

Waraporn Boonsing saved a 14^th-minute penalty from Japan's Mana Iwabuchi, but Yuika Sugasawa opened the scoring on 27 minutes.

Thailand's hopes took a further hit in first-half stoppage time when Hinata Miyazawa made it 2-0, with an early second-half finish from Rin Sumida extending their lead.

Sugasawa converted a penalty for Japan's fourth, with Riko Ueki emphasising her side's superiority by adding a fifth on 75 minutes.

Sugasawa then grabbed her third and fourth and Japan's sixth and seventh goals in the last 10 minutes.

The semi-finalists have all qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, while Thailand, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei have entered a repechage which has an additional berth available.

The two semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday (February 3).