Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson is already dreading the selection headaches he’ll encounter at next year’s Olympics as his team edges closer to booking their tickets to Paris 2024. Australia cruised through the second round of Olympic qualifying in Perth, beating Iran 2-0, the Philippines 8-0, and Taiwan 3-0 to top Group A in the Asian Confederation.
Mary Fowler’s moment of brilliance seals victory. The Matildas will now take on Uzbekistan in a two-legged play-off in February, with the winners to secure a spot at the Olympics and the losers to be sent packing. Game one will be in Uzbekistan on February 24, with Australia to host game two at a yet-to-be-decided venue four days later. It marks a dream match-up for Australia, who faced the very real prospect of taking on world No.