Head Coach Tom Sermanni was optimistic about his team’s chances following the announcement of the draw.

He said: “I think we are placed in the more challenging of the two groups, but we have experience against each of our opponents in recent years so it won’t be as daunting as our first Asian Cup appearance.

“Although there is no qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup up for grabs at this tournament, it is important that we finish with a high placing to make sure we are seeded for the next round of qualifiers in 2010.

“We definitely want to build on the momentum that we had at last year's FIFA Women’s World Cup and continue improving the performance of our national team on the world stage," concluded Sermanni.

The eight nation tournament will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 28 May to 8 June 2008, with matches played at the Thong Nhat Stadium and the Army Stadium.

The Matildas were the 2nd seeds for the tournament behind China, who won the last AFC Women’s Asian Cup which was held in Adelaide during 2006.

Australia will open their AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2008 campaign against Chinese Taipei on Thursday 29 May, followed by the match against Korea Republic on Saturday 31 May before the final group match against Japan on Monday 2 June.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-finals and meet the top two teams of Group A which features China, DPR Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.

The Matildas, are currently placed 12th in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, with China ranked at 14th, DPR Korea is currently the top ranked nation at 6th with Japan ranked at 10th.

This will be Australia’s second appearance at Asia’s premier Women’s Football competition. The Matildas were runners-up at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2006 after losing the final on penalties to China.

The Matildas will continue their preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2008 with a three match tour to the United States at the end of the month, which includes two matches against the top FIFA Women’s ranked team, the USA.