Subway Joeys' Head Coach Brad Maloney has named a 24-player squad for the PacificAus Sports Football Tour against the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Under-19 Men's Teams next month as further preparation for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2025™ Qualifiers.
The three-match tour will see games played at the National Stadium in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Thursday, 15 August (6.00pm local / 5.00pm AEST) and Sunday, 18 August (6.00pm local / 5.00pm AEST) plus Wednesday, 21 August (3.00pm local / 2.00pm AEST) at Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Football Australia appreciates the support of the Australian Government, through PacificAus Sports, which has made the tour possible.
Fresh off the back of their 2024 ASEAN U-16 Boys' Championship win in Surakarta, Indonesia, Maloney has opted to select a core group of players who successfully secured the first piece of silverware for an Australia's men national football team since 2019.
Jai Ajanovic (Central Coast Mariners FC) will travel to the Pacific along with Alex Bolton (Perth Glory FC), Jay Maltz (Sydney FC), Charlie Parkin (Brisbane Roar FC) and Rhys Williams (Brisbane Roar FC).
Maloney, who recently attended the National Youth Championships Boys' Tournament, is also providing opportunities to players who impressed in Wollongong including the U16s leading goal scorer, Akol Akon (Western Sydney Wanderers FC); as well as Max Anastasio (Marconi Stallions FC), Max Naylor (UWA Newlands FC) and Samuel Stanway (Lions FC).
The warm weather camp and matches provide the opportunity for Australia to prepare for their AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025™ Qualifiers to be contested in Kuwait between 19-27 October, 2024.
The Subway Joeys have been drawn in Group G alongside Indonesia, Kuwait, and Northern Mariana Islands, where they will be looking to secure their place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025™ Qualifiers to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in April of next year.
This tour sees the squad depart Australia on Sunday, 11 August and will not only support the Subway Joeys' performance objectives but provide an opportunity for the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu National Youth Teams to play strong opposition as part of their own development programs.
Subway Joeys' Head Coach, Brad Maloney said the tour will provide an excellent platform to build depth in his squad ahead of AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025™ Qualifiers.
"We had a fantastic tournament in Indonesia and the players involved were so deserving of that result, I was really proud of the work and effort they all put in," Maloney said.
"When looking to the Qualifiers in October, I wanted to give a core group of that existing squad the chance to experience more time on the road as a collective, in different conditions, and against older opposition. It's equally important we find ways to integrate new players who are impressing with their club or academy, and I saw several players at the National Youth Championships who I felt deserved this opportunity.
"They'll now get some invaluable international exposure to support their ongoing development, which equally gives them a chance for selection as we continue down our qualification path.
"I'd also like to thank PacificAus Sports for their support of this tour and the opportunity provided to this group of players," Maloney concluded.
Australian High Commissioner, His Excellency Rod Hilton said, "We are excited to welcome the Joeys to the Solomon Islands for a series of two games with the national U19 men's team in August.
"The Australian Government's PacificAus Sports program strengthens high performance pathways for Pacific athletes, providing increased opportunities for teams to train and compete at the highest levels, and for our nations to come together through a shared love of sport."
Ticketing information for all matches will be available via the Solomon Islands Football Federation and Vanuatu Football Federation. Broadcast information will be released in due course.
These international friendlies are supported by the Australian Government's PacificAus Sports program.
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, with funding split evenly between women and men. PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television's 'That Pacific Sports Show' and ABC Radio's 'Fresh Off the Field'. The high-performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government's Team Up
