Australian Squad named for AFF U16 Youth Championship 2022

Twenty-three of the country’s finest emerging young footballers have been selected to represent Australia at the AFF U16 Youth Championship 2022 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Australia has been drawn in Group C and will face Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia in the 12-team tournament commencing on 31 July 2022.

The selection of the final squad for this tournament follows a week-long Joeys (Australia U17) camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in mid-July, a National U16 Identification Camp held in Townsville during April, and an ongoing assessment in collaboration with technical staff at Member Federations.

This Australia U16 representative team will be led in Indonesia by former Joeys National Team Assistant Coach and current Football South Australia Technical Director, Michael Cooper. 

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this tournament will be the Joeys' first international activity since 2019.

“After such a long hiatus due to the pandemic, it’s wonderful to see our men’s national youth team programs competing again on the international stage,” explained Trevor Morgan, Football Australia Head of Technical Direction, Pathways & Coach Education.

“Football Australia has been working closely with technical staff at Member Federations to identify the best emerging talent for our Joeys program, which has led to two highly competitive national camps over recent months.

“This AFF U16 Youth Championship in Indonesia will not only be a proud moment for the players and parents as they represent Australia for the very first time but also presents a wonderful opportunity for these young men to get their first taste of international competition in what we hope will be a long and prosperous career in the green and gold,“ concluded Morgan.

Australia’s AFF U-16 Youth Championship campaign will kick off against Myanmar on Tuesday, 2 August at the Sultan Agung Stadium in Bantul.

The team will return to the same venue three days later to challenge Cambodia, before rounding out their Group Phase campaign with a meeting with Malaysia at the Maguwoharjo Stadium in Sleman on Monday, 8 August.

Each of Australia’s Group C fixtures at the AFF U-16 Youth Championship will kick off at 3 pm local time (6 pm AEST). 

Australia will need to finish first in Group C, or as the best overall runner-up in the three pools, to advance to the semi-finals of the competition. The knockout phase of the tournament will be played exclusively at the 31,000-seat Maguwoharjo Stadium. 

Australia has won the AFF U-16 Youth Championship twice in the past, claiming the crown in 2008 and 2016. The green and gold also finished second in 2012, and third in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

AFF U16 Youth Championship 2022 | Sunday, 31 July – Friday, 12 August 2022 | Jakarta, Indonesia

Name

Position

Club, Country

Junior Club 

Peter ANTONIOU

Defender

Melbourne City FC, Australia

FC Bulleen Lions (Football Victoria)

Daniel BENNIE

Forward

Perth Glory FC, Australia

Sorrento FC (Football West)

Dean BOSNJAK

Forward

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Freeman Sports Club (Football New South Wales)

Luka COVENY

Defender

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Essendon Royals SC (Football Victoria)

Zachary DE JESUS

Defender

Sydney United 58 FC, Australia

Lakeside Lions FC (Football New South Wales)

Miguel DI PIZIO

Midfielder

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

AC United (Football New South Wales)

Ben DUNBAR

Midfielder

Melbourne City FC, Australia

Doncaster Rovers (Football Victoria)

Ayman GULASI

Forward

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Sydney Olympic FC (Football New South Wales)

Gus HOEFSLOOT

Goalkeeper

Sydney FC, Australia

Helensburgh Thistles (Football New South Wales)

Jesse HOEY

Forward

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

FC Bulleen Lions (Football Victoria)

Pearson KASAWAYA

Forward

Sydney FC, Australia

Griffith City FC (Football New South Wales)

Daniel LAZAREVSKI

Forward

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Lalor United Sloga (Football Victoria)

Andriano LEBIB

Defender

Perth Glory FC, Australia

Dianella White Eagles (Football West)

Jared MIDDLETON

Defender

Sydney FC, Australia

Collaroy Cromer Strikers (Football New South Wales)

Lachlan MIDDLETON

Midfielder

Sydney FC, Australia

Collaroy Cromer Strikers (Football New South Wales)

Alex NASSIEP

Goalkeeper

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Caloundra FC (Football Queensland)

Anthony PAVLESIC

Goalkeeper

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Sydney United 58 FC (Football New South Wales)

Jaylan PEARMAN

Midfielder

Perth Glory FC, Australia

Kingsley Westside FC (Football West)

Isiah QUINN

Defender

Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Brisbane Olympic FC (Football Queensland)

Tiago QUINTAL

Forward

Sydney FC, Australia

Baulkham Hills FC (Football New South Wales)

Dylan ROSE

Midfielder

Sydney FC, Australia

Mounties JSC (Football New South Wales)

Xav STELLA

Defender

Melbourne City FC, Australia

Templestowe United FC (Football Victoria)

Nicholas ZDRILIC

Defender

Sydney United 58 FC, Australia

St George FA (Football New South Wales)

 

Shadow Squad

Name

Position

Club, Country

Junior Club 

Rylan BROWNLIE

Forward

Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Moreton Bay United (Football Queensland)

Oscar FRYER

Forward

SD Raiders, Australia

Hurlstone Park Wanderers FC (Football New South Wales)

Mikey GHOSSAINI

Forward

Glen Eira FC, Australia

Glen Eira FC (Football Victoria)

Daniel GRASKOSKI

Goalkeeper

Northcote City, Australia

Northcote City (Football Victoria)

Jordan HOEY

Forward

Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

FC Bullen Lions (Football Victoria)

Angelo KALAMVOKIS

Defender

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Gymea United FC (Football New South Wales)

Cyrus MALSAWMKIMA

Attacker

Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Logan Lightning FC (Football Queensland)

Justin MOYA

Defender

Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Southside Eagles (Football Queensland)

Alexandro NUNES

Midfielder

Newcastle Jets FC, Australia

Litchfield FC (Football Northern Territory)

Andre PARKES

Defender

Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia

Castle Hill United FC (Football New South Wales)

Andre RIZGALLA

Midfielder

Sydney FC, Australia

St George FA (Football New South Wales)

Fabian TALLADIRA

Midfielder

Adelaide United FC, Australia

Adelaide City FC (Football South Australia)


AFF U-16 Youth Championship 2022 – Match Schedule (Australia) 

Australia U-16 v Myanmar U-16
Date: Tuesday, 2 August 2022
Venue: Sultan Agung Stadium, Bantul, Indonesia
Kick-off: 3pm (local); 6pm (AEST) 

Cambodia U-16 v Australia U-16 
Date: Friday, 5 August 2022
Venue: Sultan Agung Stadium, Bantul, Indonesia
Kick-off: 3pm (local); 6pm (AEST)

Malaysia U-16 v Australia U-16 
Date: Monday, 8 August 2022
Venue: Maguwohharjo Stadium, Sleman, Indonesia
Kick-off: 3pm (local); 6pm (AEST) 

 

Semi-Finals: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Medal Matches: Friday, 12 August 2022