Australia made another convincing statement under Tony Popovic, beating two-time reigning Asian champions Qatar 3-0 in a friendly in Doha on Saturday morning AEDT.
The match had originally been arranged as preparation for an Asian Cup which has since been delayed by 12 months, but the Socceroos used it to continue developing Popovic’s side and introduce several new players.
Australia’s strongest available line-up controlled the first half, with Riley McGree, Tete Yengi and Nestory Irankunda all scoring before the interval. Each goal followed pressure created by the Socceroos’ high press, which Qatar struggled to contain.
Two of the goals came after misplaced passes from Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada, who endured a difficult evening as Australia established a commanding lead.
The performance continued the progress shown during Australia’s recent home friendly series against Brazil and offered further evidence that the team’s improving form is not a one-off.
Popovic praises aggressive Socceroos display
Popovic made a series of changes after half-time, giving debuts to Eli Adams, Sam Klein, Kasey Bos and Diesel Herrington. Gianni Stensness also returned to the national team for his first appearance in more than four years.
Australia’s momentum dipped as the substitutions disrupted their cohesion, but Qatar could not find a way back into the match. The hosts failed to register a shot on target and did not manage their first attempt until the 72nd minute.
“We were very aggressive,” Popovic said. “It was testing conditions, wasn’t easy for the players. We could see that they were finding it hard to breathe and move in these conditions.”
The Australia manager said his side could have added to its advantage, while acknowledging that the number of changes affected the team’s shape.
“I think [we could have added] a few more goals from our good play,” he said. “When we made all the changes, I think we lost a lot of cohesion and we lost our way a little bit. But it was important for those boys to get minutes and to rest some of the boys that need to back up against Jordan, and some debutants, which is always a special moment.”
Connor Metcalfe also impressed in central midfield alongside Paul Okon junior, strengthening his case for an international role in the position rather than his usual wide attacking berth.
With Mohamed Toure, Cristian Volpato, Jordan Bos, Jackson Irvine, Lewis Miller and Aiden O’Neill unavailable through injury, the result highlighted the depth available to the Socceroos.
Australia will face Jordan in another Doha friendly next week. The fixture was moved from Amman after players raised security concerns, following negotiations by Football Australia.
The match could be Popovic’s last in charge if he cannot agree a contract extension with Football Australia.
