In a strategic reshuffle, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, Australia’s head coach Tony Popovic has opted to insert experienced players Rhyan Grant, Milos Degenek, and Martin Boyle into the squad while dropping teenage star Nestory Irankunda. This is a departure from their last match against China where the young player impressed quite a number of people. This change seems to be a combination of tactical balance as the Socceroos will have two crucial matches and would want to qualify for the World Cup 2026.
The team seems to be blending youth with experience as Eighteen year old Tone Irankunda is slowly cementing his position as one of the intriguing prospects for Australia. He started off his Bayern Munich career on a positive note and even went on to stay as a substitute in a draw against Japan. Indeed his prowess has impressed Kaiserslautern a lot but is there for the long haul. Popovic indeed highlighted the fact that settling is quite important for the young Irankunda.
“His signing is young, bearing great promise, which made the club choose him exactly” Popovic in the presence of reporters in Melbourne stated. “We think this is a great chance for him to settle in at the club, which will give him the time that is necessary for him to grow. We expect this will help him in a longer perspective and he will be an integral player of the national team in the years to come.”
Australia is also currently in second place behind Japan within Group C and so they are in a good place to qualify. Now, they want to make sure they keep that second-place position by beating the third-placed Saudi team in Melbourne on Thursday and then the fourth-placed team Coach Bahrain in Riffa five days later. The 2 top teams in group C will qualify for the 2026 in finals of North America while the third and four teams will progress to another qualifying stage.
Irankunda is one of the players who has been left out of the squad as well as defensive midfielder Keanu Baccus. In place of these injuries, 33-year-old veteran right-back Rhyan Grant, 31-year-old winger Martin Boyle, 30-year-old defender Milos Degenek have been brought in, among eight new players joining the squad. It is believed that the presence of these experienced players will assist the team during these crucial matches and provide the team with stability and experience.
After earning 21 caps, Grant has been absent from the Socceroos camp since early 2022. However, Boyle is back in the squad, having recovered from a wrist injury. Boyle would have added a new attacking threat for the team had he not been injured before the 2022 World Cup, but he is now back and fit to play.
One of the new faces is Anthony Caceres, a 32-year-old midfielder who gets his first shot with the Socceroos. Popovic has considered Caceres a role model for a long time because of his distinctive skill and steady performance level and has the audacity to call himself an experienced game-changer.
“I have a lot of respect for Caceres,” said Popovic. “He is in good form that has allowed him to grab the opportunity.”
Joining Caceres are Hayden Matthews and Max Balard who make the squad look lively, and offer some promise to Popovic’s line up. These selections reveal a delicate mix of integrating youngsters and experienced players to sail the Socceroos through this qualifying round.
The list of the entire squad as pronounced by Popevic is below:
Squad:
Maty Ryan, Joe Gauci, Paul Izzo, Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Rhyan Grant, Hayden Matthews, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Max Balard, Anthony Caceres, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Riley McGree, Aiden O’Neill, Patrick Yazbek, Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitchell Duke, Craig Goodwin, Nishan Velupillay, Kusini Yengi.
With the inclusion of seasoned defenders and skilled playmakers, Popovic’s squad for the November qualifiers highlights a clear intention to reinforce defensive resilience while maintaining flexibility in the attacking lineup. Fans will be watching closely as Australia aims to clinch vital points and move one step closer to a place in the 2026 World Cup.
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