A-Leagues prospects dominate Joeys squad for three-match Pacific tour

The Subway Joeys have named their squad for next month’s PacificAus Sports Football Tour against the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Under-19 men’s teams and it is dominated by Isuzu UTE A-League prospects.

Of the 24-player squad set to face the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu on a three-match tour as Australia prepare for AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, 22 play for A-Leagues teams.

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Brad Maloney’s Subway Joeys team boasts a key contingent of players who delivered the ASEAN U16 Boys’ Championships title earlier this month, including joint Golden Boot winner Anthony Didulica (Western United) and Nickolas Alfaro – who became Sydney FC’s youngest ever men’s player in a competitive fixture on Tuesday night via the Australia Cup.

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Jai Ajanovic (Central Coast Mariners), Alex Bolton (Perth Glory), Jay Maltz (Sydney FC), Charlie Parkin (Brisbane Roar) and Rhys Williams (Brisbane Roar) are also set to travel to the Pacific, where Australia will meet the Solomon Islands twice (August 15 and August 18) before wrapping up the tour against Vanuatu on August 21.

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“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,” said head coach Brad Maloney, who claimed Australia’s first men’s silverware since 2019 via the recent ASEAN tournament.

“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.

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“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.”

Match Schedule

Match One
Solomon Islands U19 v Subway Joeys
Thursday, 15 August 2024
Kick-off: 6.00pm (local) / 5.00pm AEST
National Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands

Match Two
Solomon Islands U19 v Subway Joeys
Sunday, 18 August 2024
Kick-off: 6.00pm (local) / 5.00pm AEST
National Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands

Match Three
Vanuatu U19 v Subway Joeys
Wednesday, 21 August 2024
Kick-off: 3.00pm (local) / 2.00pm AEST
Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu