Adelaide United ace Kusini Yengi has today been added to Australia’s squad for the forthcoming AFC U23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.
Yengi is the final player to be named in Australia’s squad for the tournament, the bulk of which was confirmed on Wednesday.
Yengi will join his Australia teammates in Uzbekistan following the completion of his Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s Finals Series campaign with the Reds.
Australia have been drawn in Group B of the AFC U23 Asian Cup alongside Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan, and will play its group matches in the cities of Qarshi (two matches) and Tashkent (one match) between June 1 and 7.
Each of Australia’s matches at the AFC U23 Asian Cup will be broadcast exclusively live in Australia on Paramount+, with the first cohort of players in the squad assembling in Uzbekistan from Monday, 23 May 2022 for a pre-tournament training camp.
Any players with A-League Finals – or potentially A-Leagues All Stars – commitments will travel to Uzbekistan following the completion of their respective domestic campaigns.
Australia finished third at the last AFC U23 Asian Cup, then known as the AFC U23 Championship, in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2020 to secure qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Men’s Football Tournament. Since competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, multiple young Australian players have secured club moves abroad, and/or progressed into the senior Socceroos’ set-up, illustrating the importance of Australia’s U23 program.
The upcoming AFC U23 Asian Cup does not serve as part of the process for qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Men’s football qualifying for Paris 2024 is set to commence in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) next year.
Football Australia announced last week that former Socceroo Tony Vidmar will take charge of Australia’s U23 men’s program at the completion of the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign.
Australia U23 Squad | AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022
| Name | Club, Country | Junior Club (Member Federation) |
| Hosine BILITY | Fram Reykjavik, Iceland | Croydon Kings FC (Football South Australia) |
| Nicholas BILOKAPIC (Gk) | Hartlepool United, England | Sydney United 58 FC (Football NSW) |
| Jordan BOS | Melbourne City FC, Australia | Hoppers Crossing SC (Football Victoria) |
| Lachlan BROOK | Adelaide United FC, Australia | Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) |
| Jacob CHAPMAN (Gk) | Huddersfield Town AFC, 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 (Football South Australia) |
| Jacob FARRELL | Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia | Wyoming FC (Football NSW) |
| Tyrese FRANCOIS | Fulham FC, England | Campbelltown Uniting Church SC (Football NSW) |
| Joe GAUCI (Gk) | Adelaide United FC, Australia | Cumberland United FC (Football South Australia) |
| 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 NAJJARINE | Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia | Mounties Wanderers FC (Football NSW) |
| Joshua NISBET | Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia | St Marys FC (Football NSW) |
| Bernardo Oliveira (BERNARDO) | Adelaide United FC, Australia | Port Adelaide Pirates SC (Football SA) |
| Cameron PEUPION | Brighton Hove & Albion FC, England | Wakehurst FC (Football NSW) |
| 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 | Sydney FC, Australia | Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC (Football NSW) |
| Patrick YAZBEK | Sydney FC, Australia | Austral Soccer Club (Football NSW) |
| Kusini YENGI | Adelaide United FC, Australia | Fulham United FC (Football South Australia) |
Match Schedule | Australia U23 | AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022
Matchday 1: Australia U23 v Kuwait U23
Date: Wednesday, 1 June 2022
Venue: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Matchday 2: Iraq U23 v Australia U23
Date: Saturday, 4 June 2022
Venue: Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
Matchday 3: Australia U23 v Jordan U23
Date: Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Venue: Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 11pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on Paramount+
