2023-11-17 13:24:03
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 45 minutes ago, Updated now
Graham Arnold Katie Chan / Action Plus / Panoramic
Australia coach Graham Arnold said preparing for next week’s match against Palestine, against a backdrop of armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, had been “quite stressful”, but that he hoped the match would provide some relief. joy.
The Socceroos enter this qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup which will take place on Tuesday in Kuwait, at the top of Group I after beating Bangladesh 7-0 on Wednesday in Melbourne. Lebanon and Palestine drew 0-0 in the group’s other match, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, also on Thursday.
The match between Australia and Palestine was originally scheduled to take place in the West Bank, but it was moved to Kuwait City due to the war. “With everything going on in the Middle East right now, it’s quite stressful for me and I have to make sure everything (the preparation) is perfect” Arnold said. He described the conflict as “horrible» but indicated that his team had to concentrate on football. “What we can control is our performance and playing against Palestine and doing the job for Australia“, he added. “Obviously we sympathize with everyone about what’s going on, but again, it’s a football game and it brings a lot of joy to everyone“, assured Arnold.
Leicester City defender Harry Souttar, who opened the scoring against Bangladesh, said the team had to be professional in Kuwait and put their emotions aside. “It’s obvious we know what’s happening on both sides, it’s horrible“, he told journalists. “I’m not going to speak up to give a political opinion, but all I can say is that we’re going to focus on the match and nothing else.“, underlined the 25-year-old player. “We know that Palestine will be ready to fight. We know they are going to play for more than just football. But we are here to get a result and get the job done“, he warned.
Australia are aiming for a sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, having reached the round of 16 in Qatar in 2022. A record eight direct berths and an intercontinental play-off place are at stake for teams from the Asian Confederation, divided into nine groups of four.
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