Asian Cup under-17 qualifiers head to the Goulburn Valley

“We’ve had an excellent two weeks in camp and set a strong foundation for the program, not just for this qualifying tournament, but for the years ahead,” Maloney said.

“We have to respect our opposition. It’s going to be a tough group.

“We don’t know a lot about the opposition because of the hiatus in the last couple of years, but we expect challenging matches from all three teams.”

With double headers on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday there is plenty of opportunity to support Australia and the qualifiers as a whole.

“I think the boys are quite excited at the prospect of playing at home and the families are upbeat about watching their children on home soil, so it’s definitely something to look forward to,” Maloney said.

“I just want them to enjoy the experience and use it as an opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage.

“I really hope they can take that in their stride, which I’m sure they will, as we look to qualify for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2023.”

Tickets for the event are free and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/afc-u17-asian-cup-qualifiers-group-g-1089649