Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Australia national team boss Holger Osieck is not worried about the below-par performance of the Olympic team, whose players are hoping to make it to the senior squad come the 2015 Asian Cup.
The Olyroos only managed to draw 0-0 against Uzbekistan, UAE and Iraq in their first three matches in Group B of the third round of qualifiers for the 2012 London Games while the senior team tops Group D of the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup having won four of their five matches so far to booktheir place in the next phase.
“The U-23 players playing in the 2012 Olympic Qualifiers have to prove that they have the talent to make it to the senior team," the German coach, who made a presentation at the AFC Asian Cup 2011 Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, told the-afc.com:
“The Olympics is one part of player development. They have to work further to qualify for playing for the senior team particularly in the 2015 Asian Cup.
“So the 2012 Olympics is a challenge for them to reach the next level, playing for the Australia national team.”
The former Urawa Reds manager, who guided the J.League club to glory in the 2007 AFC Champions League, vowed that the Socceroos are not going to rest on their laurels in their journey to represent Asia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“It is not easy for Australia being in Asia as there are a lot of strong teams,” he said.
“We are pleased that we have qualified early enough to the next Asian qualifying round of the 2014 World Cup and give ourselves a bit of space.
“We have one more game in February [against Saudi Arabia] and apart from that, we don’t have too many games to play. But we will not relax.”
Australia accumulated 12 points in the third round of Asian qualifiers for Brazil 2014 with a 1-0 defeat to Oman in Muscat last month spoiling their perfect record.