Socceroos want PM’s help for ‘scary’ situation as qualifiers under cloud amid Middle East conflict
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to help ensure his team play upcoming World Cup qualifiers in venues that are “safe”, with an impending clash against war-torn Palestine in November yet to secure a venue.
Despite reports that the clash could be played in Algeria, there’s as yet no confirmation and Arnold wasn’t convinced, with a venue to be announced by Friday.
The Socceroos have to play both Palestine, which is caught in the grip of war with Israel, as well as Lebanon, with a home clash against Bangladesh locked in for Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
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Arnold pointed to the involvement of Japan’s prime minister when the Blue Samurai were drawn to play North Korea and hoped there could be similar assistance from the Australian government, conceding the current picture looks “quite scary”.
He said everyone involved with the Socceroos was “uncomfortable” with the situation while casting down over the Algerian plan.
“We’ve got a pretty interesting group and we’ll need government support for those decisions where we are playing Palestine and Lebanon because what is going on at the moment looks quite scary,” Arnold said after his team’s 2-0 friendly win over New Zealand in London.
“As far as I know you have to play your qualifiers in the confederation where you play – and (Algeria) is not part of Asia, so I don’t think that’s real.
“Everyone is uncomfortable, staff, players, we are only three weeks away from it. By Friday, I think Palestine have to come up a with a neutral venue, and we have to be careful where that neutral venue is with what’s
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