Socceroos v Saudi Arabia: NSW football talent in World Cup Qatar qualification match, TV times

They come from across Sydney, our west, northern beaches and a NSW outback town. The local soccer talent to cheer as Australia ups the ante for FIFA World Cup qualification.

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

2 min read

November 11, 2021 - 11:30AM

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The Socceroos play their first match on Australian soil since 2019 in Sydney tonight as Australian football bids to reach the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Anmd when players hit the pitch NSW locals will make up a third of the squad.

Head coach Graham Arnold has selected eight players from NSW in his squad for the qualification match against Saudi Arabia at Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta.

Phoenix player Jaushua Sotirio and Sydney FC’s Rhyan Grant compete for the ball in an A-League match.

The match marks the first time in over two years the Socceroos will be playing on home soil.

While the majority of players are now based overseas, the squad boasts four A-League guns including Sydney FC’s Rhyan Grant with 28 caps and who learned his skills at the Canowindra Juniors and Bathurst 75 clubs,

Gianni Stensness, playing for the Mariners, is tackled by United’s Besart Berisha.

It also includes just one uncapped player in former Central Coast Mariners gun Gianni Stensness.

Now playing for Viking FK in Norway, Stensness grew up on Sydney’s northern Beaches.

The youngster played for Pittwater RSLFC, the Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC and the North Shore Mariners.

Gianni Stensness playing for the Cromer Strikers as a youngster.

The second player from the northern beaches in the squad is left back Callum Elder with one outing for Australia.

Now at Hull City AFC in England he started his football journey with Manly United FC before moving overseas when 16.

Callum Elder, third form right, when in the from U16s for Manly.

Two of the more experienced players in the squad came through Blacktown City FC.

Milos Degenek, who also played for the Bonnyrigg White Eagles, has taken the pitch for 31 games for Australia and is based in Serbia with red star Belgrade.

Matthew Ryan during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Mitchell Duke celebrates scoring for the Wanderers in March.

Matthew Ryan, who also played for the Marconi Stallions, has 65 caps and plays for Real Sociedad in Spain

Mitchell Duke, who has played 13 games for the Socceroos and scored six goals, now plays with Fabiano Okayama in Japan. His junior clubs included the Liverpool Rangers, Parramatta Eagles and Blacktown City.

Goalie Lawrence Thomas in the 2020 A-League.

Lawrence Thomas is another relatively new face in the squad with just one outing for the Socceroos.

The Winston Hills Bears FC Junior, who also spent time at the Marconi Stallions and Blacktown City, now plays for SonderjyskE football in Denmark.

Goal keeper Danny Vukovic training with Socceroos.

Danny Vukovic, who played his youth football at St Clair United FC, Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Parramatta Power, is now based in the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen.