With four Group B qualifiers remaining and every point proving crucial, the Socceroos FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ qualification is coming down to the wire - and it all recommences on January 27!
With six games played, the Socceroos have four huge encounters left as they endeavour to secure automatic qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
It all begins on January 27 when the Socceroos host Vietnam at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, before a trip away to Oman a few days later on February 1.
And with a capacity crowd expected to converge on the Melbourne Park precinct for the Green and Gold’s first match in the city since September 2017, there is plenty to get excited about.
How to watch
January's matches will be broadcast live and free on Australia's 'Home of Football,' Network Ten.
To watch all of the latest involving Socceroos and the rest of Asian Qualifying, Australian football fans can visit https://10play.com.au/socceroos.
For fans based outside of Australia, click here to read about how you can continue to access the action.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar (Final Round)
Matchday 7: Australia v Vietnam
Date: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Venue: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Kick-off: 8.10PM Local Time
Tickets: Please visit www.socceroos.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au for ticket information
General Public Tickets: 12pm on Thursday, 16 December 2021
Broadcast: Live and free in Australia on Network 10 and simulcast on Paramount+ and 10 Play
The squad
The Socceroos’ squad for matches against Vietnam and Oman consists of 16 overseas-based players, with nine (9) representatives selected from A-League Men.
Tom Rogic and Aaron Mooy were both absent from November's camp and will be back in the centre of the park looking to inspire Australia to victory. Brandon Borrello, Andrew Redmayne and Connor Metcalfe all return for the first time since June 2021, meaning they could be set to earn their first minutes in Round 3 of FIFA World Cup Qualifying. Craig Goodwin also returns to the squad after a lengthy 18-month hiatus.
The squad also features three uncapped players, with Marco Tilio, Joel King and Kye Rowles all enjoying first-time call-ups to the senior national team.
Socceroos Squad | 24 January – 1 February 2022 | FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar (Final Round)
|
Name |
Club, Country |
‘A’ Caps (Goals) |
Junior Club |
|
Aziz BEHICH |
Giresunspor, Turkey |
47 (2) |
Meadow Park SC (Football Victoria) |
|
Brandon BORRELLO |
SG Dynamo Dresden, Germany |
4 (0) |
Modbury Jets SC (Football South Australia) |
|
Martin BOYLE |
Hibernian FC, Scotland |
12 (5) |
Lewis United FC/Montrose FC (Scotland) |
|
Milos DEGENEK |
Uncontracted |
33 (1) |
Blacktown City FC (Football NSW) |
|
Mitchell DUKE |
Fagiano Okayama, Japan |
15 (7) |
Liverpool Rangers SC (Football NSW) |
|
Craig GOODWIN |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
5 (0) |
Munno Para City SC (Football South Australia) |
|
Rhyan GRANT |
Sydney FC, Australia |
20 (1) |
Canowindra Juniors/Bathurst 75 (Football NSW) |
|
Ajdin HRUSTIC* |
Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany |
13 (2) |
Heatherton United SC (Football Victoria) |
|
Jackson IRVINE |
FC St. Pauli, Germany |
43 (6) |
Ringwood City SC (Football Victoria) |
|
James JEGGO |
Aris Thessaloniki, Greece |
11 (0) |
Green Gully SC (Football Victoria) |
|
Fran KARACIC |
Brescia Calcio, Italy |
6 (1) |
NK Lokomotiva (Croatia) |
|
Joel KING |
Sydney FC, Australia |
0 (0) |
Shellharbour Junior FC (Football NSW) |
|
Mathew LECKIE |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
67 (13) |
Brimbank Stallions FC (Football Victoria) |
|
Jamie MACLAREN |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
19 (6) |
Green Gully SC (Football Victoria)) |
|
Ryan MCGOWAN |
Kuwait SC, Kuwait |
21 (0) |
Para Hills Knights SC (Football South Australia) |
|
Riley MCGREE |
Middlesbrough FC, England |
7 (0) |
Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) |
|
Connor METCALFE |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
2 (0) |
South Cardiff FC (Northern NSW Football) |
|
Aaron MOOY |
Shanghai Port FC, China PR |
47 (6) |
Carlingford Redbacks FC (Football NSW) |
|
Andrew REDMAYNE (Gk) |
Sydney FC, Australia |
2 (0) |
Gosford City Dragons FC (Football NSW) |
|
Mathew RYAN (Gk) |
Real Sociedad, Spain |
67 (0) |
Blacktown City FC (Football NSW) |
|
Tom ROGIC |
Celtic FC, Scotland |
51 (9) |
Tuggeranong United FC (Capital Football) |
|
Kye ROWLES |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
0 (0) |
Palm Beach SC (Football Queensland) |
|
Trent SAINSBURY |
KV Kortrijk, Belgium |
56 (4) |
Armadale SC (Football West) |
|
Marco TILIO |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
0 (0) |
APIA Leichhardt FC/Sydney Olympic FC (Football NSW) |
|
Danny VUKOVIC (Gk) |
NEC Nijmegen, Netherlands |
4 (0) |
St Clair United SC (Football NSW) |
*Suspended for matchday seven
The equation
The Socceroos are taking on Japan, Saudi Arabia, China PR, Oman, and Vietnam in the Final Round of AFC Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
The draw saw Australia pooled in Group B of qualification, with Group A containing IR Iran, Korea Republic, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
To qualify for a fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup™, Australia must finish either first or second in Group B, which includes ten matches to be played from September 2021 to March 2022, to qualify directly.
A third-place finish would send the Socceroos to a play-off against the third-place team from Group A, followed by a single-leg intercontinental play-off on neutral territory against the fifth-best side in South American qualifying.
Australia are currently placed in third position, however, qualification for a fifth consecutive World Cup is still in their hands.
It all comes down to matches against Vietnam and Oman before two massive matchups in late March as Australia face Japan at home, before closing out Group B against group leaders Saudi Arabia.
Our schedule
Games in the third round are scheduled to be played on the following match days: 11 November 2021, 16 November 2021, 27 January 2022, 1 February 2022, 24 March 2022 and 29 March 2022.
Due to the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation, match locations and times will be finalised in the immediate lead-up to each window.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar (Final Round)
Matchday 7: Australia v Vietnam
Date: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Venue: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Kick-off: 8.10PM Local Time
Tickets: Please visit www.socceroos.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au for ticket information
Broadcast: Live and free in Australia on Network 10 and simulcast on Paramount+ and 10 Play
Matchday 8: Oman v Australia
Date: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Venue: Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Kick-off: 3:00AM (AEDT)
Broadcast: Live and free in Australia on Network 10 and simulcast on Paramount+ and 10 Play
|
Day/Date |
Match |
|
Thursday, 27 January 2022 |
AUSTRALIA v Vietnam |
|
Tuesday, 1 February 2022 |
Oman v AUSTRALIA |
|
Thursday, 24 March 2022 |
AUSTRALIA v Japan |
|
Tuesday, 29 March 2022 |
Saudi Arabia v AUSTRALIA |