The Socceroos are set to face Turkiye in their first World Cup match on June 14, 2023, (AEST) in Vancouver. Turkiye clinched their spot in Group D, joining Australia, the United States, and Paraguay, after a narrow 1-0 victory over Kosovo in Pristina. The decisive goal was netted by Kerem Akturkoglu in the 53rd minute, leading to jubilant celebrations among Turkiye’s fans.
Currently ranked 22nd in the world, Turkiye features prominent talents such as Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter Milan and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler. In comparison, the Socceroos hold the 27th position globally. Historically, Turkiye has enjoyed significant success in the World Cup, finishing third in 2002.
In other World Cup qualifying news, Sweden secured their place by defeating Poland in a thrilling 3-2 match. Meanwhile, notable European qualifiers included Bosnia and Herzegovina, who faced Italy, and the Czech Republic, who played against Denmark. The encounter between Bosnia and Italy ended up going into extra time after a 1-1 deadlock in regulation, with Italy’s Alessandro Bastoni receiving a red card during the first half for a critical foul.
Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, has struggled recently, failing to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments after a strong historical legacy.
In an international friendly, Japan achieved a 1-0 victory over England, courtesy of a goal from Kaoru Mitoma in the 23rd minute. Both teams had already qualified for the World Cup, but England fielded a weakened side missing several key players.
As anticipation builds for the tournament, the Socceroos will be keen to kick off their campaign with a positive result against Turkiye.