Olyroos coach Aurelio Vidmar has finetuned his squad ahead of two vital qualification matches as the team stares down the barrel of becoming the first Australian men’s side not to feature at an Olympics since 1988.
Languishing second from the bottom in their group, the Olyroos’ London hopes are now at crisis point approaching their upcoming AFC Asian qualifiers.
The two away matches in February against Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates will be critical for their chances after three consecutive draws left them with three points in a tight group, behind Uzbekistan (five) and Iraq (four) and ahead of only the UAE (two).
Only the top team goes straight through to London, with the runner-up facing further play-offs.
Notably absent from the squad to play Uzbekistan and the UAE next month are Central Coast Mariners young guns Mustafa Amini, Bernie Ibini and Oliver Bozanic.
Both Amini and Ibini have been included as stand-by players with one possibly coming into the squad if Sydney FC’s Terry Antonis (hamstring) fails to pass a fitness test, but are likely to play from the bench in a surprising selection choice.
Adelaide United defender Antony Golec and Melbourne Victory midfielder Isaka Cernak get their first call-up along with Brisbane Roar midfielder Rocco Visconte, who has recovered from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the squad for the past three matches.
Kerem Bulut, currently playing for Czech club FK Mlada Boleslav, is also set to make his Olyroo debut and is the only player selected outside the A-League.
Club commitments have made Aaron Mooy (St Mirren, Scotland), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht, Netherlands) and Mathew Leckie (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany) unavailable for the first match against Uzbekistan on February 5 but the trio are in discussion with the FFA and clubs to hopefully play against the UAE on February 22.
Vidmar was limited to a maximum of three players per A-League club and has used his full quota with Sydney FC, Melbourne Heart, Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar.
Gloveman Matt Ryan is the sole representative from A-League table-toppers the Mariners, while Adam Taggart flies the Perth Glory flag.
The second match, against the UAE, is in Abu Dhabi on February 22 before a final home game against Iraq in March.
Should the Olyroos finish in second place in the group they face playoffs from March 25 to 29, where they’ll meet the representatives of the African Confederation for an Olympic berth.
Squad: Terry Antonis (Sydney FC), Aziz Behich (Melbourne Heart), Mark Birighitti (Gk – Adelaide United), Oliver Bozanic (Central Coast Mariners), Kerem Bulut (Fkmlada Boleslav, Czech Republic), Isaka Cernak (Melbourne Victory), Mate Dugandzic (Melbourne Heart), Diogo Ferreira (Melbourne Victory), Matthew Foschini (Melbourne Victory), Antony Golec (Adelaide United), Jason Hoffman (Melbourne Heart), Matthew Jurman (Brisbane Roar), Ben Kantarovski (Newcastle Jets), Daniel Mullen (Adelaide United), Mitch Nichols (Brisbane Roar), Dimitrios Petratos (Sydney FC), Sebastian Ryall, (Sydney FC), Mathew Ryan (Gk – Central Coast Mariners), Adam Taggart (Perth Glory), Rocky Visconte (Brisbane Roar).
Standby Players: Mustafa Amini (Central Coast Mariners), Bernie Ibini (Central Coast Mariners).
