Olyroos announce all-A-Leagues squad for Pacific Football Series

The Isuzu UTE A-League’s best young guns have been called up for the Subway Olyroos’ upcoming Pacific tour against New Caledonia and Vanuatu senior men’s national teams.

Australia Under-23’s 23-man squad consists entirely of A-Leagues talents for next month’s PacificAus Sports Football Series against New Caledonia (September 5) and Vanuatu (September 8) at Freshwater Stadium in Port Vila.

Ethan Alagich is in the squad after signing a five-year contract with Adelaide United and so is Western United’s Abel Walatee having penned his first professional deal this off-season as Subway Olyroos head coach Tony Vidmar begins to prepare for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

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Nathanael Blair (Perth Glory) and Justin Vidic (Newcastle Jets) have also been selected following strong 2024 Australia Cup campaigns. They have scored three and two goals respectively.

“I’ve got great memories of the Pacific from when we were in the Oceania Confederation, we were always made to feel so welcome, it’s great we can come back to build those connections through football,” said Vidmar.

“I think this is going to be a great experience for this young group of players, as they come up against two senior teams who are preparing for World Cup Qualifiers. It’ll be testing in what will be a new team environment for many, in conditions they haven’t experienced before.

“This tour is about building depth across this age group, as we begin working directly with players we feel could play a role in our program over the next two years.

“The players are still in the early stages of pre-season with their A-League clubs and we’re looking forward to what our overall program, along with these competitive matches, will offer for each of them individually and as a group.

“They’ve got the opportunity to train and play alongside some of the best young players in our domestic league and I’ve got no doubt it will be a great chance for them to continue to develop within the national team pathway.”

Match schedule

New Caledonia v Subway Australian U23s
Thursday, 5 September
Kick-off: 3pm local / 2pm AEST
Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu

Vanuatu v Subway Australian U23s
Sunday, 8 September
Kick-off: 3pm local / 2pm AEST
Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu