Glory duo Nathanael Blair and Kaelan Majekodunmi are set to take to the international stage next month after being named in the Australia squad for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Head Coach Tony Vidmar has named a 23-strong squad for the tournament which also features a further three former Glory players in Jaylan Pearman, James Overy and Josh Rawlins.
21-year-old striker Blair has made 16 appearances in purple since joining Glory in 2024, while defender Majekodunmi has featured on 15 occasions having made a goalscoring debut for his hometown club in Round 11 of last season.
The young Aussies have been drawn in Group D and will begin their Asian Cup campaign against Thailand on 8 January, before facing China and concluding their group stage fixtures against Iraq.
The top two teams in each of the four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals and Vidmar is excited to see how his charges rise to the challenge.
“This is an important opportunity to compete in a major Asian tournament and test our players against the best teams and talent in the region,” he said.
“While many players were unavailable for selection, we have worked hard to build depth within the squad, and this tournament creates opportunities for players who have performed strongly over the past six months.
“Players who have recently participated in this tournament and gone on to represent the Socceroos include Joe Gauci, Jordy Bos, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi, Lewis Miller, Jacob Italiano, Nishan Velupillay, Ryan Teague, Patrick Beach, Mo Toure and Kai Trewin.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this group comes together and performs as we continue to win in Asia.”
All matches of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup™ will be shown live and exclusive on Paramount+.
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Glory duo heading to Saudi Arabia for 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup
