Australia compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after quitting the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2005 in order to simplify their path to World Cup qualification. At the time, the best team in Oceania qualifying had to face a South American team in a two-leg playoff to reach the World Cup, while Asia had four automatic qualifying spots and a play-off. The Socceroos had lost out on World Cup qualification via the inter-confederation play-offs in 1986, 1994, 1998 and 2002.
From when I was a young child and I imagine every aspiring footballer when they were young, they wanted to play at the highest level possible and for me it doesn't go any further than the World Cup. It's the pinnacle of our sport,
Northern Ireland beat Slovakia 2-0 in Belfast with both sides now having six points in Group A, along with Germany. Patrik Hrošovský's own goal gave the hosts an 18th minute lead and Sunderland defender Trai Hume netted a stunning second with nine minute to go to make the points safe. Germany beat Luxembourg 4-0 in Sinsheim, Joshua Kimmich scoring twice to add to goals from David Raum and Serge Gnabry. Germany visit Northern Ireland on Monday in another crunch encounter.
Germany's World Cup qualifying kicked off with an unprecedented loss to Slovakia. The Germans rebounded with a resounding 3-1 win against Northern Ireland. Marred by injuries, inexperience, and poor chemistry, Julian Nagelsmann will need to push all the right buttons to earn six points and get back Germany back on course. Historically, Germany have dominated the Luxembourgers with four wins in European qualifiers and the Olympics, with a plus-20 goal differential.
We're up for it and want to show what we're capable of. We just have to play our football and have fun doing it - wait until a gap opens up. You have to be patient. We're in a situation where we have to give everything, and that's what we'll do. We want to give it our all so that we can convince the fans and everyone else,
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Egypt reached the World Cup with a 3-0 win over Djibouti - the third African side to book their place. Egypt will play in a fourth World Cup, while the Cape Verde Islands and Ghana both took a step closer to joining them. Liverpopol forward Salah scored twice after Ibrahim Adel opened the scoring as Egypt topped Group A, ahead of Burkina Faso who won 1-0 away over Sierra Leone.
"Last season was tough for me, to the point where I thought about stopping. I didn't want to do it. I had had enough of being so professional and trying to do everything right in my power, to then keep breaking down and not having the answers. It was a very difficult place to be in."
