Two Sydney FC players will be jetting off to Saudi Arabia for the AFC U17 Asian Cup next month.
After successful camps in recent months, Nicko Alfaro & Jay Maltz have been named in Brad Maloney’s 23 player squad for the tournament held in the Middle East between 3-20th April.
They have been drawn into Group B and will face Vietnam, UAE & Japan and should they progress out of the group, they will qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup which is held in Qatar later this year.
Both players have been applying their trade with the Sydney FC U20’s side in the last few weeks and will relish the chance to test themselves against the best young players that Asia has to offer.
Head Coach, Brad Maloney said he was looking forward to commencing final preparations for the tournament.
“We’ve been progressively building towards this Asian Cup, and I feel we’re in a great position heading into our pre-camp,” Maloney said.
“I’ve been really impressed with all the players that have been involved in our program. I can’t fault their application and effort in implementing both our playing style and off-field standards, they’ve helped shape a strong culture that’s become integral to our success.
“We’ve had some positive results throughout this cycle, which has been a great reward for the hard work from both the players and staff.
“This is a very important step in our journey, and we’re fully focused on achieving the goals we set as a group during our first assembly in Europe in early-2024,” Maloney concluded.
All Australian matches at the tournament will be broadcast live on 10Play,.
Match Details
Australia U17 v Vietnam U17
Friday 4th April
Okaz Stadium, Taif
Kick Off: 6:00pm Local (2:00am AEDT Saturday 5th April)
Broadcast Live: 10Play
UAE U17 v Australia U17
Monday 7th April
King Fahd Sports City Stadium, Taif
Kick Off: 8:15pm Local (4:15am AEDT Tuesday 8th April)
Broadcast Live: 10Play
Japan U17 v Australia U17
Thursday 10th April
Okaz Stadium, Taif
Kick Off: 6:00pm Local (2:00am AEDT Friday 11th April)
Broadcast Live: 10Play
