Adelaide United ace Kusini Yengi has today been added to Australia’s squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Under-23 Cup in Uzbekistan.
Yengi is the latest player to be named to Australia’s squad for the tournament, the most of which was confirmed on Wednesday.
Yengi will join his Australian teammates in Uzbekistan at the end of his Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s Finals Series campaign with the Reds.
Australia have been drawn in Group B of the AFC Asian Under-23 Cup alongside Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan, and will play their group matches in cities Qarshi (two matches) and Tashkent (one match) between 1 and 7 June.
Each of Australia’s matches at the AFC U23 Asian Cup will be shown exclusively live in Australia on Paramount+, with the team‘s first cohort of players gathering in Uzbekistan from Monday 23 May 2022 for a training camp before the tournament.
All players with commitments for the A-League Finals – or potentially the A-Leagues All Stars – will travel to Uzbekistan after the end of their respective domestic campaigns.
Australia finished third in the last AFC Asian Under-23 Cup, then known as the AFC Under-23 Championship, in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2020 for qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Men’s Football Tournament. Since participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, several young Australian players have secured overseas club transfers and/or progressed through the Senior Socceroos setup , illustrating the importance of Australia’s under-23 programme.
The upcoming AFC U23 Asian Cup is not part of the qualifying process for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Men’s football qualifying for Paris 2024 is scheduled to start in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) next year.
Football Australia announced last week that former Socceroo Tony Vidmar will take over Australia’s men’s U23 program at the conclusion of the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign.
Australia U23 team | AFC Asian Cup U23 Uzbekistan 2022
|
name |
Club, Country |
Junior Club (Member Federation) |
|
Hosine BILITY |
Fram Reykjavik, Iceland |
Croydon Kings FC (South Australian Soccer) |
|
Nicholas BILOKAPIC (Gk) |
Hartlepool United, England |
Sydney United 58 FC (New South Wales Football) |
|
Jordan BOS |
Melbourne City FC, Australia |
Hoppers Crossing SC (Football Victoria) |
|
Lachlan’s CREEK |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Gawler Eagles FC (South Australian Soccer) |
|
Jacob CHAPMAN (gr.) |
Huddersfield TownAFC, England |
Epping Eastwood Tigers FC (Football NSW) |
|
Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS |
Rakow Czestochowa, Poland |
Newmarket SFC (Football Queensland) |
|
Louis D’ARRIGO |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
West Torrens Birkalla SC (South Australian Football) |
|
Jacob FARRELL |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
Wyoming FC (New South Wales Football) |
|
Tyrese FRANCOIS |
Fulham FC, England |
Campbelltown Uniting Church SC (Football NSW) |
|
Joe GAUCI (Gk) |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Cumberland United FC (South Australian Soccer) |
|
Tristan HAMMOND |
FK Austria Wien II, Austria |
Fairfield Hotspurs SC (Football NSW) |
|
Alou KUOL |
SV Sandhausen, Germany |
Shepparton SC (Football Victoria) |
|
Lewis MILLER |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
Pittwater RSL FC (Football NSW) |
|
Ramy NAJGARINE |
Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia |
Mounties Wanderers FC (Football New South Wales) |
|
Joshua NISBET |
Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
St Marys FC (Football New South Wales) |
|
Bernardo Oliveira (BERNARDO) |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Port Adelaide Pirates SC (Football SA) |
|
Cameron PEUPION |
Brighton Hove and Albion FC, England |
Wakehurst FC (Football New South Wales) |
|
Joshua RAWLINS |
Perth Glory FC, Australia |
Dianella SC (Football West) |
|
Jay RICH-BAGHUELOU |
Accrington Stanley FC, England |
Palm Beach SC (Football Queensland) |
|
Kai Trewin |
Brisbane Roar FC, Australia |
Gungahlin United FC (Capital Football) |
|
patrick wood |
FC Sydney, Australia |
Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC (Football NSW) |
|
Patrick YAZBEK |
FC Sydney, Australia |
Austral Soccer Club (Football NSW) |
|
Kusini YENGI |
Adelaide United FC, Australia |
Fulham United FC (South Australian Soccer) |
Match schedule | Australia U23 | AFC Asian Cup U23 Uzbekistan 2022
Matchday 1: Australia U23 – Kuwait U23
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Location: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6 p.m. (local); 11 p.m. (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Day 2: Iraq U23 – Australia U23
Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022
Location: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6 p.m. (local); 11 p.m. (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Day 3: Australia U23 – Jordan U23
Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Venue: Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6 p.m. (local); 11 p.m. (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
