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Olyroos take first step on path to Paris

Ed JacksonAAP
Patrick Wood is part of a 21-man Australian Under-23 squad ready to start a Paris 2024 journey.
Camera IconPatrick Wood is part of a 21-man Australian Under-23 squad ready to start a Paris 2024 journey. Credit: AAP

The Olyroos' journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics begins in the landlocked central Asian nation of Tajikistan later this month.

Australia has named a 21-man squad to play Indonesia in a two-legged playoff in Dushanbe on October 27 and 30.

If successful, the Olyroos will qualify for the 2022 Under-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.

While that tournament is not part of the qualification process for the Olympics, this is the first chance for the group of players who will be expected to take Australia to Paris to show their wares in national team colours.

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"The squad we've selected for next week's qualifiers casts a real eye to the future, with the core of the squad age-eligible to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in three years' time," Football Australia technical director Trevor Morgan said.

The Game AFL 2024

Morgan is coaching the team on an interim basis after Graham Arnold quit his Under-23 role to focus solely on the Socceroos' World Cup qualifying campaign following this year's Olympics in Tokyo.

Of the squad, 15 are currently based in the A-League Men including Sydney FC's Patrick Wood, Central Coast Mariner Lewis Miller and recently signed Wellington Phoenix midfielder Luka Prso.

The overseas contingent includes Polish-based former Brisbane Roar defender Jordan Courtney-Perkins and 20-year-old midfielder Lachlan Brook, who is part of the reserve team setup at English Premier League club Brentford.

Tokyo was Australia's first appearance at an Olympic men's football tournament in 13 years, with Arnold's team exiting in the group stage despite opening the tournament with a 2-0 win over Argentina.

AUSTRALIAN UNDER-23 SQUAD

Adisu Bayew, Zaydan Bello, Jordan Bos, Noah Botic, Lachlan Brook, Kai Calderbank-Park, Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Luke Duzel, Taras Gomulka, Jacob Italiano, Alessandro Lopane, Lewis Mauragis, Lewis Miller, Fabian Monge, Adam Pavlesic, Luka Prso, Nicholas Suman, Callum Talbot, Marc Tokich, Patrick Wood, Patrick Yazbek.

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