International soccer hits the region

By Daniel Webb

Oct 3, 2022

In the squad: Goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot has been selected alongside 22 other Australian talents for the qualifiers. Photo: Football Australia

International soccer is set to hit the Goulburn Valley this week, with the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers being played at McEwen Reserve, Shepparton.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Featuring Australia’s under-17 side along with China, Cambodia and the Northern Mariana Islands, the matches are the first time Australia has hosted the qualifiers of any AFC youth tournament since 2009.

A great chance for people from across the region to see the sport’s future stars, a quality Australian line-up has been named and with tickets free there is no excuse not to get around this rare opportunity.

Among those named in the squad on Saturday was 16-year-old sensation Nestory Irankunda, with the Adelaide United talent sure to be important as the Joey’s aim to qualify for next year’s tournament in Bahrain.

Coming off an intense training camp, the Australians will be ready for whatever their opposition throws at them and coach Brad Maloney said the squad reflected the testing nature of the games.

“We’ve had an excellent two weeks in camp and set a strong foundation for the program, not just for this qualifying tournament, but for the years ahead,” Maloney said.

“We have to respect our opposition, it’s going to be a tough group. We don’t know a lot about the opposition because of the hiatus in the last couple of years, but we expect challenging matches from all three teams.”

With double headers on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday there is plenty of opportunity to support Australia and the qualifiers as a whole.

“I think the boys are quite excited at the prospect of playing at home and the families are upbeat about watching their children on home soil, so it’s definitely something to look forward to,” Maloney said.

“I just want them to enjoy the experience and use it as an opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage.

“I really hope they can take that in their stride, which I’m sure they will, as we look to qualify for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2023.”

Tickets for the event are free and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/afc-u17-asian-cup-qualifiers-group-g-1089649