Our Sky Blue contingent of the Olyroos will be back sooner than planned after the Olyroos crashed out of the AFC U23 Asian Cup at the group stage.
Across three group games against Jordan, Qatar and Indonesia, the Aussies failed to score a goal and only managed to gain two points after a loss to Indonesia on matchday 2.
Jordan Courtney-Perkins was a key part of the tournament for Tony Vidmar starting each of the three matches while Jake Girdwood-Reich and loanee Adrian Segecic found minutes harder to come by.
Having failed to get out of the group, this means that the hopes of Olympic gold medal for the Olyroos is now dashed and the Matildas will be the sole football representative for the Australians.
The Aussies created plenty of chances across all three matches but just couldn’t get the ball in the net. They missed a vital penalty against Indonesia which has come back to haunt them.
Looking forward they will be aiming to be more efficient in front of goal and now will have to wait until 2028 for another chance to qualify for the Olympics.
On a brighter note, Jordan and Jake will now return to Sydney and be available for selection this weekend against Perth Glory at home.
Adrian Segecic will now return to FC Dordrecht in Holland to concluded the season in the Eerste Divisie where his side are currently sitting fourth with three matches left. They are only 8 points away from the summit so could make a late surge to the title but would need other results to go their way.
In the Netherlands, the top two teams from the Eerste Divisie are promoted to the Eredivise however the teams with the best quarters of the season who normally fall between 3rd and 9th head into a playoff competition with third last in the Eredivise. Segecic will be looking to be involved in these matches as his team push for promotion to the top division in Netherlands.
Match Results
Australia 0
Jordan 0
Monday, 15 April 2024
Kick-off: 4pm (local) / 11pm AEST
Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha
Indonesia 1 (Komang Teguh 45′)
Australia 0
Thursday, 18 April 2024
Kick-off: 4pm (local) / 11pm AEST
Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha
Qatar 0
Australia 0
Sunday, 21 April 2024
Kick-off: 6:30pm (local) / 1:30am AEST (Monday, 22 April)
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
