The Subway Olyroos have qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024TM after topping their group following a 1-1 draw with Tajikistan in the early hours of Wednesday morning AEST.
Australia had been drawn into Group I which featured Laos and Tajikistan in a three-team group, after the withdrawal of the DPR Korea from qualification.
Following a 7-1 rout of Laos to open their qualification campaign on Thursday, 6 September (local), a draw was all that was required for the Subway Olyroos to go through on goal difference, as they took on the tournament hosts in front of a partisan home crowd in Dushanbe.
A sensational free kick from Cameron Peupion (Cheltenham Town FC on loan from Brighton Hove & Albion FC Youth) opened the scoring in the 12th minute for the Tony Vidmar coached side, and while the tournament hosts would claw a goal back mid-way through the first half, a stalemate would eventually remain in what was a tense contest.
Subway Olyroos Head Coach, Tony Vidmar said he was proud of the resilience shown by his squad in the face of arduous conditions.
“We knew securing qualification would be a challenge on several fronts, and I’m delighted with the camaraderie within this group and equally how they were able to respond in difficult situations to get the job done,” Vidmar said.
“This is the first step in a long journey for this group of players, we always understood qualification was only the beginning. We have seen the benefits an Olympic campaign can have for players and their development, and our focus now turns to a strong result at next year’s Asian Cup to make sure of that opportunity.
“The boys will take a lot away from these games individually, as well as the chance to train and be together in camp. We will continue to monitor their progress as they return to their respective clubs in the meantime,” Vidmar concluded.
The AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024TM will be held from 15 April – 3 May 2024 and be contested by 16 teams from across the Asian Football Confederation.
The Subway Olyroos will need to finish in the top three to automatically qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics as the AFC representatives, while the fourth-best team will play an AFC-CAF play-off match for the final qualification spot.
Further details on the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024TM including confirmation of match venues, the official draw and match schedules will be communicated once they are confirmed.
SUBWAY OLYROOS SQUAD | AFC U23 ASIAN CUPTM QATAR 2024 QUALIFIERS | 30 AUG – 12 SEPT
| NAME | POSITION | CLUB | JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB |
| BILITY, Hosine | DF | CD Mafra | Croydon Kings FC (Football South Australia) |
| BILOKAPIC, Nicholas (Gk) | GK | Peterborough United FC | Sydney United 58 FC (Football New South Wales) |
| BOTIC, Noah | FW | Western United FC | Hurstville ZFC (Football New South Wales) |
| BROOK, Lachlan | FW | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) |
| COOK, Cameron (Gk) | GK | Perth Glory FC | Vikings FC (Football Northern Territory) |
| COURTNEY-PERKINS, Jordan | DF | Rakow Czestochowa | Newmarket SFC (Football Queensland) |
| COX, Ethan (Gk) | GK | Adelaide United FC | Salisbury United FC (Football South Australia) |
| D'ARRIGO, Louis | MF | Lechia Gdańsk | West Torrens Birkalla SC (Football South Australia) |
| FARRELL, Jacob | DF | Central Coast Mariners FC | Wyoming FC (Football New South Wales) |
| FRANCOIS, Marlee | FW | Bristol City FC (Youth) | Camden Tigers FC (Football New South Wales) |
| HOLLMAN, Jake | MF | Macarthur FC | Seaforth FC (Football New South Wales) |
| KUOL, Alou | FW | Central Coast Mariners FC | Shepparton SC (Football Victoria) |
| MAURAGIS, Lucas | DF | Newcastle Jets FC | Merimbula Grasshoppers FC (Football New South Wales) |
| NIEUWENHOF, Calem | MF | Heart of Midlothian FC | Curl Curl FC (Football New South Wales) |
| NOVELLO, Jahce | FW | Cosenza Calcio | South West Phoenix FC (Football West) |
| PEUPION, Cameron | FW | Cheltenham Town FC on loan from Brighton Hove & Albion FC (Youth) | Wakehurst FC (Football New South Wales) |
| RAWLINS, Joshua | DF | FC Utrecht II | Dianella Junior SC (Football West) |
| TALBOT, Callum | DF | Melbourne City FC | Gymea United FC (Football New South Wales) |
| TEAGUE, Ryan | MF | Melbourne Victory FC | Maroubra United FC (Football New South Wales) |
| TREWIN, Kai | DF | Brisbane Roar FC | Gungahlin United FC (Capital Football) |
| TRIANTIS, Nectarios | DF | Sunderland AFC | Canterbury Junior FC (Football New South Wales) |
| VELUPILLAY, Nishan | FW | Melbourne Victory FC | Endeavour United SC (Football Victoria) |
| YAZBEK, Patrick | MF | Viking FK | Austral Soccer Club (Football New South Wales) |
AFC U23 ASIAN CUPTM QATAR 2024 QUALIFIERS – GROUP I RESULTS
Laos v Australia
Laos U23 - 1 (Khounthoumphone 12’)
Australia U23 - 7 (Velupillay 2’, 4’, D’Arrigo 7’, Botic 21’, 55’, Brook 59’, A.Kuol 79’)
Date: Wednesday, 6 September 2023 (local)
Venue: Republican Central Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Australia v Tajikistan
Australia U23 - 1 (Peupion 12')
Tajikistan U23 - 1 (Soirov 28')
Date: Tuesday, 12 September 2023 (local)
Venue: Republican Central Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
