Northern fans left out in cold once more

QUEENSLAND has again missed out on hosting the Socceroos.

Football Federation Australia is set to announce as early as today that Sydney’s ANZ Stadium will host the secondleg of the World Cup playoff between the Socceroos and Syria on October 10.

The winner of that AFC affair will progress to another two-legged playoff, this time against the fourth-placed CONCACAF (North, Central American and Caribbean) nation, in November for a place at next year’s World Cup.

While Suncorp Stadium at this stage remains an option to host that match should Australia overcome Syria, Rugby League World Cup commitments and Brisbane Roar ALeague home games could hurt its chances.

Brisbane has not hosted a FIFA World Cup qualifier since June 2012.

Since then the Socceroos have played 12 World Cup qualifiers in Australia – four in Sydney, three in Melbourne, two in Perth and Adelaide, and one in Canberra.

While Queensland fans did get the chance to see the Socceroos twice during the 2015 Asian Cup, no World Cup qualifiers in more than five years has angered supporters, who have often directed their rage at FFA and the State Government body Tourism and Events Queensland.

FFA is often accused of snubbing Queensland, while TEQ is criticised for failing to throw the necessary dollars needed to bring the Socceroos to Brisbane.

TEQ group executive Nick Elliott said FFA had not “made contact to advise if the (Socceroos-Syria game) is available.

“TEQ continues to work to attract events which provide value for Queensland taxpayers and drive key tourism outcomes,” Elliott said.