The green and gold begin their campaign for Qatar with a tough trip to the Middle East
Australia start the process to qualify for the 2022 World Cup with a match on the road against Kuwait at the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium on Wednesday (AEST).
Temperatures will be hovering around 40 degrees for the match as the green and gold bid to make their fifth consecutive appearance at the tournament, which will be held during the winter months in Qatar during 2022.
Kuwait have only ever qualified for the World Cup once – in 1982 – and were knocked out in the group stage after only picking up one point.
The Socceroos emerged as 4-0 winners when the teams last played in a friendly match last year – which was Graham Arnold’s first match of his second stint as national team coach.
Both sides will be keen to get off to a flying start in a qualifying group also featuring Jordan, Chinese Taipei and Nepal.
| Game | Kuwait vs Australia |
| Date | Wednesday, September 11 |
| Time | 1:30am AEST / 6.30pm LOCAL |
| Stream (AUS) | Kayo (14 day trial available)/My Football App |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In Australia, the game can be watched live via pay subscription service Foxtel on Fox Sports channel 505 or on live sports streaming service Kayo Sports.
New users can sign up for a free 14-day trial of Kayo Sports , which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Telstra TV and a standard desktop browser.
The match can also be viewed with a subscription purchased on the My Football Live app.
It will not be telecast on free-to-air television.
Squads & Team News
| Position | Australia squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Langerak, Redmayne, Ryan |
| Defenders | Souttar, Smith, Sainsbury, Deng, Grant, Degenek, Behich |
| Midfielders | Amini, Hrustic, Irvine, Jeggo, Luongo, Mooy, Goodwin |
| Forwards | Borrello, Taggart, Maclaren, Mabil, Leckie, Giannou |
Following the withdrawal of Socceroos skipper Mark Milligan through injury, Trent Sainsbury and Milos Degenek look likely to form the centre-back pairing.
There will be opportunities for Massimo Luongo and Jackson Irvine in the midfield because of the absence of injured Tom Rogic.
Adam Taggart, if fit, should get the opportunity to lead the line after his stunning form in the K-League.
Australia starting XI: Ryan; Behich, Sainsbury, Degenek, Grant; Irvine, Mooy, Luongo; Leckie, Mabil, Taggart.
| Position | Kuwait squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Abdulghafoor, Kankone, Al Qallaf |
| Defenders | Abdullah, Al Enezi, Al Rashidi, Al Dhufairi, Al Fadhel, Al Sanea |
| Midfielders | Al Ansari, Al Hajeri, F. Al Harbi, H, Al Harbi, Al Khaled, Al Rashedi, Al Shereedah, Hadi, Hajiah, Hani, Khalal, Mawi |
| Forwards | Al Azemi, Al Faneni, Al Hebaiter, Al Mosawi, Al Matawa, Al Salman |
Striker Bader Al Mutawa, who trialled for Nottingham Forest in 2012, is likely to start up-front and could prove a handful for the Australian defence.
Kuwait starting XI: Abdulghafoor; Al Rashidi, Al Enezi, Al Dhufairi, H. Al Harbi, F. Al Harbi, Al Hajeri, Mawi, Al Matawa, Al Salman, Al Faneni
Betting & Match Odds
Sportsbet have Australia to win as the shortest option at $1.36, with the draw ($4) and a Kuwait victory ($7) positioned as outside chances.
Click here to read Goal’s betting preview of Kuwait v Australia – odds courtesy of Sportsbet.
Match Preview
Australia will be hot favourites to start their World Cup qualifying campaign with three points as they meet Kuwait in the Middle Eastern nation’s capital on Wednesday (AEST).
In a swashbuckling performance last time they met when the Socceroos crushed the Kuwaitis 4-0 with Apostolos Giannou, Tom Rogic, Awer Mabil and an own goal doing the damage during the October 2018 friendly.
The 156th-ranked Kuwait side have already started their path to Qatar with a 7-0 thrashing of Nepal last week and are currently equal-top of Group B alongside Jordan.
In a recent tour of England, the Kuwaitis impressed with a 2-1 victory over Premier League side Aston Villa, but also lost to non-league side Maidenhead United by a single goal.
Since being knocked out of the Asian Cup quarter-finals, the Socceroos have only played one match – a 1-0 friendly defeat against South Korea in June.
Centre-half Trent Sainsbury feels the squad is starting to gel after another period of training together and talked of a positive feeling among the team leading into the match.
“I think any time together as a group is always good,” Sainsbury said. “It is always special when you come into these camps.
“We have got a good core group of players together now, a lot younger than what we have had in the past. So I think any time together over a certain time period is always good for us.
“And leading into this campaign as a World Cup qualifier it is always nice to kick it off with a few extra days in camp together.
“Leading into this game we are feeling really good and together as a team there is a good bond there.”
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