Milligan, who has been capped 72 times for Australia, was the 56th player to wear the captain’s armband when he led the Socceroos against Korea Republic in Seoul in July 2013. He has since led the side on 11 occasions.

Milligan succeeds Mile Jedinak who announced his retirement from international football in October this year.

Arnold said the Sydney-born defender is a natural choice as one of the senior leaders in the Socceroos squad.

“As we embark on a new era we look to leaders like Mark,” Arnold said. “Mark has been a part of the national team for 12 years now. The experience gained over that period is invaluable to our squad and his leadership on and off the park shines through every day."

The matches are part of the three teams' preparations for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 which entered its 50-day countdown on Friday.

Japan 1-1 Venezuela

Oita: Hiroki Sakai scored his first goal for the Samurai Blue but then conceded a penalty which allowed Venezuela a share of the spoils at the Oita Bank Dome.

Still, Japan remain undefeated under head coach Hajime Moriyasu as they continue their buildup to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, where they will be seeking Continental glory for a record-extending fifth time.

More teams than ever – a total of 24 – up from 16 – will compete for not only Continental glory but also a glittering new trophy and a record prize fund of almost US$15 m in this football extravaganza.

This week most of the competing nations - with at least one from each of the AFC’s five Regional Associations – have begun their final preparations with matches across Asia with the holders Australia facing fellow finalists Korea Republic and Lebanon.

While Asia's biggest teams took their customary place in the glittering draw in Dubai last May, there are several national sides who will be making their debuts in the Finals or returning to the Continental showpiece after having missed out on several editions.

Australia beat the Koreans in the final of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and Saturday's match in Brisbane will be a test of where each side is at ahead of the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates on January 5-February 1.

"We know the Asian Cup is just around the corner and in my view there are no friendly games - it's all about winning and building up belief and confidence in everything we're practising," Arnold said.

"The energy has been great, the training is high-energy, we've got pace in the team, a lot of creativity, and the freedom of a flexible system to show the boys' qualities."

Over the years, the AFC Asian Cup has produced some brilliant footballers and coaches. So, we gave fans the opportunity to vote for who they considered as the greatest 11 players in the competition's history.

After 2.6 million votes on the-AFC.com over the past few weeks, it is now time to announce the players who made the final XI alongside six substitutes who narrowly missed out on a starting XI place.

Asia already boasts some of the world’s leading referees and now they will be given the additional support of VAR for the tournament quarter-finals, semi-finals and the February 1 final.

The VAR system will therefore be used in seven matches at four venues – Zayed Sports City and Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain and the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.