Aussie stars, coach could be denied chance for final title
A number of Socceroos stars may be robbed of their last chance to win silverware, with talks the Asian Cup could be postponed due to conflict in Saudi Arabia.
FIFA announced on Thursday it had postponed the FIFAe Finals scheduled to take place in Jeddah this weekend due to the Houthi missile and drone attacks, with questions about whether the kingdom will host other planned events now rising.
Popovic has not said if he will stay on after the Asian Cup. FIFA
In less than three months until the Asian Cup kicks off in Saudi Arabia, all nations as well as the Asian Football Confederation are monitoring the attacks in the area.
Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC, floated the event could be pushed back to 2028 instead of appointing a new host nation at short notice.
Salman made clear that the AFC is not in a rush to make that call just yet.
“At the moment we are monitoring the situation and everything is on schedule,” he told reporters in Zurich.
“If we need to make a decision we will ... we can wait until the end of November.”
While some AFC nations continue to raise concerns about the tournament’s location, figures at Football Australia believe the event will likely be postponed.
If that is the case, the dominoes will begin to fall in Football Australia, with players nearing close to retirement and coach Tony Popovic coming off contract.
Popovic had inked a deal that would keep him in charge through the Asian Cup, with the contract set to expire on a certain date after the tournament in January, as per reports from The Sydney Morning Herald.
With quarter-final exits in the past two editions of the tournament, Popovic has the chance to bring a trophy back to Australian soil for the first time in a decade as the Socceroos have not featured in the final since they last won it in 2015.
It is unclear if Popovic will look for a contract extension if the Asian Cup is moved to 2028, given he rejected a long-term offer to stay on until the 2030 World Cup.
Then again, he could be without some key stars if they opt to retire this season.
The likes of Mathew Ryan, Aziz Behich and Mathew Leckie are nearing the latter end of their careers, with all coming off contract at club level at the end of 2027.
The trio were all part of the last Australian Asian Cup-winning team, but the rise of young talents has began to cast a cloud over their futures with the national team.
Mat Ryan (centre) replaced Patrick Beach ahead of the penalty shootout. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Ryan, 34, has been a long-term captain of the national team but has recently lost his spot as the first-choice keeper, with Popovic looking in favour of Patrick Beach.
Paul Izzo is another keeper that has been challenging Ryan’s position in recent years, but the 31-year-old was also overlooked to feature at the World Cup.
The Asian Cup in January could have been an opportunity for Ryan to farewell the international landscape, but it remains unknown if he will even make the squad.
As for Behich, a three-time World Cup representative, he has been battling for minutes against rising young defenders like Jordy Bos.
Behich featured in three of Australia’s recent World Cup matches, starting on the bench against Turkiye before playing the full 90 against Egypt and Paraguay.
It is a similar story for Leckie, but recurring hamstring and calf injuries over the past two years have taken a hit on his availability for the Socceroos.
Leckie managed to feature twice for Australia at the World Cup before a hamstring problem cut his time at the tournament short.
Along with the star trio is fellow Australian gun Craig Goodwin, who missed the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico due to a groin injury.
Australia’s Craig Goodwin (centre) celebrates his goal against France at the 2022 World Cup. AP
The 34-year-old also missed selection for the Brazil friendlies in September, despite recording 31 caps with the national team over the years.
The quartet will be keeping an eye on the situation in Saudi Arabia, just as all their younger Australian teammates will be.
In the meantime, they will be focused on delivering impressive auditions for the tournament that is still in the books to take place in January.
The Australian government has advised all individuals reconsider the need to travel to Saudi Arabia due to the current conflict. If travel is necessary, however, it is advised that Australians exercise extreme caution.
