As the Socceroos look to book their place at the 2022 World Cup, Australia’s next generation are fighting for silverware in Uzbekistan.
The Olyroos are playing at the AFC U23 Asian Cup in June and will be looking to improve on their most recent third-place finish.
Australia’s U23’s claimed a memorable 2-0 win over Argentina at the Olympics last year but failed to make it out of their group.
With a new coach at the helm in the form of Tony Vidmar, the Olyroos will be determined to make a good run at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup.
The Sporting News brings you everything you need to know about the side at the tournament.
Olyroos’ AFC U23 Asian Cup fixtures, results and highlights
Matchday 1
| Date (AEST) | Time (AEST) | Match/Result | Stadium | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1 | 11.00pm | Australia 2-0 Kuwait | Markaziy Stadion | Paramount+ |
The Olyroos have begun their Asian Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Kuwait.
Australia dominated possession and shots taken with Louis D’Arrigo opening the scoring after 26 minutes with a stunning curling strike.
B̶a̶t̶i̶g̶o̶l̶ 🙅♂️
D’Arrigol ✅🇦🇺 1-0 🇰🇼 thanks to Louis D’Arrigo’s curler into the corner. 👌
🎥: @ParamountPlusAU#AFCU23 #GoAustralia pic.twitter.com/sITfKNTYAF
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) June 1, 2022
Jay Rich-Baghuelou then wrapped up the contest in the second-half with a neat finish in the box as the centre-back showed why he played striker as a junior.
Slick team move to make it two. 💪
Centre-back Jay Rich-Baghuelou with a striker’s finish.
🎥: @ParamountPlusAU#AFCU23 #GoAustralia pic.twitter.com/CcPnxU8l2M
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) June 1, 2022
Matchday 2
| Date (AEST) | Time (AEST) | Match/Result | Stadium | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 4 | 11.00pm | Australia 1-1 Iraq | Markaziy Stadion | Paramount+ |
The Olyroos had to dig deep to claim a 1-1 draw with Iraq in their second match at the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
Australia were reduced to 10 men after just 17 minutes when Kusini Yengi was shown a red card.
Despite being a man down, the Olyroos struck first just before half-time as Alou Kuol fired home a stunning scorpion goal.
Iraq would hit back in the 56th minute via Hasan Abdulkareem and though they edged possession and shots couldn’t find a winner.
🦂🤯
Could this be a #Puskas contender?@AlouKuol | @FootballAUSpic.twitter.com/ndxDH88HG6
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) June 4, 2022
Matchday 3
| Date (AEST) | Time (AEST) | Match/Result | Stadium | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 7 | 11.00pm | Australia vs. Jordan | Lokomotiv Stadium | Paramount+ |
Olyroos’ AFC U23 Asian Cup group standings
Group B
| Team | Games | Wins | Draw | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 |
| Jordan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| Iraq | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Kuwait | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
Only the top-two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.
Olyroos’ squad for the AFC U23 Asian Cup
| Player | Club | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosine Bility | Fram Reykjavik | Nicholas Bilokapic | Hartlepool United |
| Jordan Bos | Melbourne City | Lachlan Brook | Adelaide United |
| Jacob Chapman | Huddersfield Town | Jordan Courtney-Perkins | Rakow Czestochowa |
| Louis D’Arrigo | Adelaide United | Jacob Farrell | Central Coast Mariners |
| Tyrese Francois | Fulham | Joe Gauci | Adelaide United |
| Tristan Hammond | FK Austria Wien II | Alou Kuol | SV Sandhausen |
| Lewis Miller | Central Coast Mariners | Ramy Najjarine | Western Sydney Wanderers |
| Joshua Nisbet | Central Coast Mariners | Bernardo Oliveira | Adelaide United |
| Cameron Peupion | Brighton Hove and Albion | Joshua Rawlins | Perth Glory |
| Jay Rich-Bagheulou | Accrington Stanley | Kai Trewin | Brisbane Roar |
| Patrick Wood | Sydney FC | Patrick Yazbek | Sydney FC |
| Kusini Yengi | Free agent |
Tyrese Francois will captain a 23-man Olyroos squad at the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup.
Jay Rich-Bagheulou is the only player that featured for the side at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year.
With new coach Vidmar currently with the Socceroos, Trevor Morgan is expected to guide the side from the dugout.
Olyroos’ top goalscorers at the AFC U23 Asian Cup
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Louis D’Arrigo | 1 |
| Jay Rich-Baghuelou | 1 |
| Alou Kuol | 1 |
How to watch the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Australia
Every Olyroos match will be broadcast live on Paramount+.
The streaming service offers free seven-day trials for new customers and costs $8.99 a month beyond that.
How have the Olyroos performed at the AFC U23 Asian Cup in the past?
The Olyroos have featured at the past four AFC Asian Cups – which was previously known as the AFC U23 Championship.
Australia’s best performance to date came at the last tournament in 2020 when they finished third after beating Uzbekistan in the play-off.
In the two tournaments prior to that, the Olyroos failed to escape their group, winning one of three games on each occasion.
Their first appearance at the competition in 2013 saw Australia make the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by Saudi Arabia.
