Glory ALM skipper Adam Taggart has been named in the Socceroos squad for next month’s AFC Asian Qualifiers against Bahrain and Indonesia.
The September FIFA Men’s International Window signifies the start of the Third Round of qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Australia to face Bahrain on the Gold Coast on Thursday 5 September (kick-off 6pm WST), before travelling to Jakarta to take on Indonesia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Tuesday, 10 September (kick-off 8pm WST).
Australia rounded off the Round 2 stage of qualifying by defeating Bangladesh and Palestine to retain their unbeaten record and Head Coach Graham Arnold is targeting a similarly impressive start to Round Three.
“Our full focus is on these opening two games and starting strongly,” he said.
“Two positive results to open Round Three not only builds belief within the group, but gives us great momentum as we move into what will be three consecutive windows.
“The standards we set are always high and they’ve played a significant role in the growth of this group and what we were able to achieve in Round Two.
“The players understand what’s expected of them in terms of their focus, preparation and energy in camp as we move into the next stage of qualification.
“We’ve got a great mix of players who’ve been through this phase of qualification before and can lead the way for some of the younger members of our squad.
“Their experience will play an important role throughout this journey.”
Scheduled to be played from September 2024 to June 2025, the AFC Asian Qualifier – Road to 26 will feature three groups of six teams playing in a home-and-away, round-robin format, offering direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 for the top two finishers of each group.
Taggart, who claimed last season’s A-League Golden Boot, has won 20 caps for the Socceroos to date, scoring seven goals.
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