THE Socceroos’ resilience and determination give them a real chance of making it past the group stage at the 2022 World Cup, according to former captain Craig Foster.
Australia have been dealt a tough hand for the Qatar tournament, starting November 21, facing defending champions France, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.
Former skipper and current pundit Foster, who was in Mildura at the weekend for the AMES Multicultural Cup, believed no game can be taken for granted.
“To get out of the group is the first objective and of course to try and get past round of 16 which we did in 2006,” he said.
“It’s a big ask in a tough group but in football nothing is ever guaranteed.
“The first time France were champions in 1998, they turned up in 2002 and didn’t score a goal. In 2010 they also self-combusted, so you know even with the top teams in the world, you can never take for granted that they are going to perform at their best.
“This team proved in the qualifiers against UAE and Peru that are full of resilience and determination, and that’s their greatest quality which will be required against the current world champions, Denmark who have some world class players and Tunisia who are eminently beatable.”
Foster said another unknown aspect of this year’s World Cup is the timing.
Most World Cups come on the back end of the season, around June or July, however the climate in Qatar has meant the 2022 campaign will take place during the club seasons, with injury concerns being held due to a packed schedule.
“We’re not quite sure who is going to make the pitch for France and Denmark, so you cannot assume they will be at full strength,” Foster said.
“At the moment 14 players in the French squad are still injured, so we could easily get to that World Cup and face teams that would allow a lot greater opportunity for Australia to do well.
“This is our fifth consecutive World Cup, so this country is experienced now and there should be no more unknowns.
“It’s about going into this tournament, demonstrating what this team and country is capable of, showing everyone where we are headed, that we can play football, that we are now starting to rise up in terms of our football understanding.”
