Australia Wants To Take Part In The AFF Cup

Australia wants to participate in the AFF Cup (Instagram/@socceroos).

JAKARTA - Australia's head coach, Tony Popovic, wants to see Socceroos field a team in the upcoming ASEAN tournament. However, he admits that there are logistical challenges that need to be addressed first.

Led by naturalized striker Rafaelson or Nguyen Xuan Son, Vietnam secured their third AFF Cup title earlier this month, beating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate in the final two legs.

The implementation of the 15th tournament, all members of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) participated in the tournament in a certain capacity - Bunei Darussalam lost to Timor Leste in the qualifying playoffs - except for Socceros.

Previously, Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. Then, they officially became part of the AFF in 2013.

Former Chairman of the Australian Football Federation, Chris Nikou, is currently also sitting on the AFF board.

Relations have grown closer in recent years. AFF wrote a letter of support earlier this week for a joint submission of Football Australia and Football Queensland to the Queensland Government's 100-day infrastructure review for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.

However, Socceroos has never participated in the ASEAN Championship, a restriction imposed under the terms of the entry agreement.

To date, most of his football participation in the region consists of deploying teams in junior tournaments, in addition to sending teams limited in age to take part in senior AFF Women's Championships.

Meskipun demikian, peningkatan standar yang berlanjutan di seluruh AFF--Indonesia menahan pertambangan Socceroos dengan skor 0-0 di Jakarta dalam Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026 September 2024-- artinya pembicaraan tentang Australia yang mengambil bagian dalam turnamen putra unggulan di kawasan tersebut terus berlanjut.

Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold fought for the prospect during his tenure. In a recent discussion with Australian media, Popovic also voiced his support.

However, Popovic expressed his stance by acknowledging the logistical challenges associated with Australia's participation.

Then, the AFF Cup at the end of the year took place outside the FIFA international window.

It clearly collided directly with the opening months of the A-League season and the European-based Australian campaign.

"I would really like it. The more games with Socceroos, the better. Whether it will work in that kind of competition, I don't know."

"How it will work in our local calendar, I'm not sure how it will all work out with the fixtures."

"If you have clear goals and clear views on the tournament, any international exposure helps the players."

"We really hope that our Under-17s, 20s, and 23s qualify for the tournament. Why? Because of that international experience, you can't buy it."

"You can watch it on TV. However, while you're out there and playing there, players are developing, players have the opportunity to play in a bigger and better league."

"So, if there is an opportunity to increase the integrity of the international calendar and help our players, of course. I am open to that, as a coach. Obviously there are many other things behind that," Popovic said.

Popovic will lead Socceroos in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Indonesia and China in March 2025. The two matches must be won if they want to secure one of two automatic tickets to the finals.

Currently, Popovic is preparing to leave for Europe to monitor Australian players based in the region in the coming days.

Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Badminton is said to be a potential player to be called up for the match.

However, Socceroos may face competitors for his services. A report from Australia states that the Chinese Football Association has contacted the 23-year-old Sydney-born, who is of Chinese descent and Malaysian descent, about a move to the China National Team.

"Right now I'm just trying to play my football. I'm going through every game without really thinking about anything else."

"Currently I'm in Melbourne Victory trying to do my best for the team and myself. Whatever happens out there, I leave it to the people who help me."

"I think it's clear what I want this season, other goals I want."

"However, none of this happened without me trying to perform optimally week after week, which is what I'm trying to do," Popovic said when asked about the CFA approach.