Australia have named a full-strength team for their upcoming Olympic qualifiers, including superstar Sam Kerr who will captain the team alongside Steph Catley.
Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson announced his squad on Thursday morning, naming all but two of the history-making World Cup team to play. Both Kyah Simon and Aivi Luik were unavailable due to injury.
Sam Kerr and Steph Catley will captain the Matildas in the Olympic qualifiers later this month.Credit: Getty
Gustavsson, whose first major tournament with the team was the Tokyo Olympics, said the Matildas’ strong performance at the World Cup gave him confidence to name an almost identical side.
“It’s hard to believe that by the time we take the field in Perth that it would have been over two months since that exhilarating and unifying month of football in Australia,” Gustavsson said.
“While we have had some time to reflect on the impact of this remarkable team on and off the pitch, the special trait of this group is that they are always looking to embrace the next challenge and that is now qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“With just over 285 days to go until that opening kick-off in France, we have called up players that we know are ready to take us forward to the next phase of qualifying, while looking to reward a couple who have performed strongly in the U-23 Program,” he concluded.
Duo Amy Sayer and Charlize Rule, who were part of Australia’s under-23 team, have been named as part of the squad. Rule will be heading to Perth in a development position.
The Matildas had their best Olympic result at the 2021 Games in Tokyo, finishing fourth after losing 4-3 to the United States in the bronze medal match.
“We are excited about the next chapter and continuing to build on the legacy for this team, and it all starts in Perth,” Gustavsson said.
“We understand the importance of high-quality performances and know these will be challenging matches against teams who will also be committed to continuing their journey to Paris next year.”
The Matildas’ first match in Perth on October 26 will be against Iran, who are 63rd in the FIFA rankings, and the team will go on to play the Philippines and Chinese Taipei.
Australia will need to top their qualifying pool or be the highest-ranked of the runners-up to progress to the third and final round of qualifiers. The third round will take place on February 24 and 28, 2024, with the winners of the two home and away series progressing to Paris 2024.
The Matildas’ final squad: Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley (VC), Alex Chidiac, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Sam Kerr (C), Teagan Micah, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne, Hayley Raso, Charlize Rule (development), Amy Sayer, Emily van Egmond, Cortnee Vine, Clare Wheeler, Lydia Williams, Tameka Yallop
Matildas’ Olympic qualifiers:
- Australia v IR Iran, Thursday, October 26, 10pm (AEDT) – HBF Park, Perth
- Philippines v Australia, Sunday, October 29, 6pm (AEDT) – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Australia v Chinese Taipei, Wednesday, November 1, 10pm (AEDT) – HBF Park, Perth
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
