The Subway Olyroos’ fixtures for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup™ Qatar 2024 Finals have been confirmed, following the release of the tournament’s official match schedule.
The confirmation of fixtures came after the official draw in Qatar on Thursday 23 November, where Australia’s place in Group A was confirmed, alongside Qatar from Pot 1, Jordan from Pot 3 and Indonesia from Pot 4.
The tournament – being held between 15 April and 3 May 2024 – will see 16 of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) best U-23 teams divided into four groups to contest a one-round league format, with the top two finishers in each group qualifying for the Quarter Finals.
The Subway Olyroos will start their campaign against Jordan on the tournament’s opening day on Monday, 15 April (4pm local/11pm AEST) at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Tony Vidmar’s squad will return to the same venue on Thursday, 18 April (4pm local/11pm AEST) to take on Indonesia, before finishing the Group Stage against the tournament hosts, Qatar on Sunday 21 April (6.30pm local/1.30am AEST Monday, 22 April) at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup™ Qatar 2024 Finals will also act as the AFC qualifier the Paris 2024™ Olympics, with the Subway Olyroos needing to finish in the top three to automatically qualify, while the fourth-best team from the tournament will play an AFC-CAF play-off match for the final AFC qualification spot.
Subway Olyroos’ Head Coach, Tony Vidmar said the confirmation of the tournament’s match schedule signified the start of an important period for his squad.
“We’ve spoken about our goals and ambitions as a group, and we now know our path to achieving those,” Vidmar said.
“In terms of our Group, we’re facing opponents that we’re familiar with, we understand the way they like to play, and we’re looking forward to the challenges that come with tournament football.”
The Subway Olyroos secured qualification for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup™ Qatar 2024Finals courtesy of a 7-1 rout over Laos and a 1-1 draw with Tajikistan, while during the recent November FIFA Men’s International Window, Vidmar’s squad defeated both Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively.
“I’m really pleased with the work we’ve been able to put in as a group up to this point, against opponents and in conditions that will put us in great stead as we head into a significant phase within our program,” added Vidmar.
“We’ve made no secret of our desire to earn qualification for Paris 2024 and understand that we’ll need to be at our very best throughout our preparation and into the tournament to achieve that,” concluded Vidmar.
