The Australian football team, led by coach Graham Arnold, had concerns about their performance in the lead-up to the Qatar World Cup six months ago. They had to fight through the playoffs instead of securing direct qualification, despite ultimately confirming their place in the World Cup. Arnold has transformed the team’s circumstances entirely. Contracts have been extended until the 2026 World Cup, and anticipation is high as they face Bangladesh, aiming for a new milestone.
Before the start of this new campaign, Australia’s football team commemorated their 50th anniversary of World Cup participation on November 13th. In 1973, a surprising goal from outside the box by Jimmy Mackay against Korea secured Australia’s ticket to the 1974 World Cup. However, their wait for a second World Cup appearance lasted almost 32 years until they qualified in 2006. Since then, they’ve consistently participated in the tournament, even though they haven’t returned to the forefront. Alongside fantastic moments at the World Cup, they’ve also posed challenges to formidable opponents at various times.
This time, Australia will have to take a different path to secure a place in the World Cup. There will be some advantages for the team due to changes in the selection process. Rather than 32 teams, 48 teams will compete, benefiting Australia and other Asian teams. Instead of four teams from Asia, eight will have direct access to the World Cup. However, one team will need to go through the playoffs, although that match will be against a team from another confederation.
In the selection phase, apart from Bangladesh, Australia’s group includes Lebanon and Palestine. To progress to the next stage, they’ll need to be among the top two teams in the group of four. Those two teams will also secure tickets to the 2027 Asian Cup alongside Saudi Arabia. Australia will play their first two matches of the selection phase next month. The next two matches will take place in March 2024, followed by two more in June.
Bangladesh is about to face a different Australian team in the World Cup qualifiers. Graham Arnold’s team exhibited impressive skills during the Qatar World Cup. However, there have been several changes in the team since then, some of which are quite surprising.
Let’s revisit the time of the World Cup. Australia began their campaign with an almost astonishing performance in their first match. Despite losing 4-1 to France, their gameplay was praised. Even though they lost to France, they beat 2020 Euro semifinalists Denmark and Tunisia 1-0 in both games.
Australia made history in the group stage mainly due to their exceptional performance. Previously, they had never won two matches in the group stage. Even keeping a clean sheet in two consecutive matches was a first after 1974. Their victory against Denmark was historically significant as they defeated a team ranked within the top ten.
In the group stage, Australia played a fantastic game against Argentina in the second round. Despite initially conceding two goals, they reduced the deficit with an own goal by Enzo Fernandez in the 77th minute. Even though they lost the match to Argentina 2-1, Australia’s gameplay was highly praised after the second round. Coach Arnold’s ‘Ozzy Spirit’ was particularly admired, with many considering him the best coach of the World Cup. Australia also made a significant leap in the rankings, climbing to 27th place, progressing 11 steps ahead from their previous position after September 2012, which was 25th, the highest ranking before this.
Post-World Cup, Australia faced challenging experiences in their international friendly matches, competing against several top-tier teams. Despite winning one of two matches against Ecuador in March, they faced defeat against Argentina, losing 2-0. They drew 2-2 against Mexico and lost 1-0 against England in the last two matches. However, Australia won against their regional rivals New Zealand 2-0.
Following the World Cup, Arnold specifically prepared the team for scrutiny during these six months. He experimented with various strategies during matches, sometimes resulting in mixed outcomes. However, he doesn’t want to follow the same path for the next World Cup; he aims to secure victories, especially against Bangladesh. Arnold mentioned last week, ‘In the past six months, we had the opportunity for self-assessment. But now, it’s about the World Cup selection. I think the time for assessment is over. Now, we’ll play the right players with the right skills, wanting to win any match at any cost.’
Australia made few changes to their announced squad against Bangladesh and Palestine. Only four changes were made from the squad for the previous friendly matches. Coach Arnold has maintained a balance between youth and experience in the squad. However, compared to Qatar’s World Cup, this change seems massive when considered.
Arnold primarily shapes the current squad with an eye on the 2026 World Cup. Hence, seven players in this squad have been groomed for the future, having debuted this year.
Even though they have played less than 20 matches so far, Arnold has included many players in the current Australia squad. Out of these, only nine players from the Qatar World Cup squad have gotten the opportunity in this selection. Among them, midfield star Aaron Mooy retired. The other players like Nathaniel Atkinson and Riley McGree are injured. The rest have been left out due to their recent form. Among them, Adin Hrustic, one of the best players from the previous World Cup selection, is included.
Arnold observes the selection process thoroughly, mainly considering the future stars to build a team ready for the 2026 World Cup. That’s why this Australian squad includes seven players whose succession plans are in place, considering the shadow of experienced players for the future. Even though two players, Portsmouthe striker Kusini Yengi and Charlton Athletic’s goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, are waiting for inclusion in the succession plan. Arnold intends to solve the problem of scoring goals, which has been a long-standing issue, primarily with Yengi. Alongside, experienced players like Mitch Duke, Jamie Maclaren, and Craig Goodwin are in the squad. It’s noteworthy that none of the players in this Australian squad has played in the top leagues in Europe.
With the shadow of experienced players, Arnold is walking the path to build future stars for Australia. Where the first challenge is against Bangladesh today. Looking at strength, capability, and statistics, the challenge seems easy. So, to do something remarkable against the powerful Australia, Bangladesh needs to focus on something extraordinary.
