- World Cup qualifying campaign has been underwhelming
- Pressure continues to mount on Socceroos coach Graham Arnold
- Shock loss to Bahrain was followed by tame draw with Indonesia
If the goal-shy Socceroos don’t beat China in their next World Cup qualifier, coach Graham Arnold could be shown the door.
It comes despite Football Australia CEO James Johnson publicly backing Arnold on Friday.
The Socceroos currently sit fifth in group C following a shock home 1-0 loss to Bahrain which was compounded by a frustrating 0-0 away draw with Indonesia, piling pressure on the coach.
‘It’s not where we want to be, naturally,’ Johnson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘We are disappointed with where we ended after the first two games, but we are certainly not panicking.
‘Right now, we need cool and calm leadership, and we need to ask the right questions and provide the right support to ensure that Arnie and the team are set up for the upcoming match against China.
‘That match obviously becomes very important.’
Johnson added FA ‘have faith’ in Arnold and anticipate the Socceroos boss ‘will be analysing where he went wrong, and then will come up with solutions.’
If the goal-shy Socceroos don’t beat China in their next World Cup qualifier on October 10, coach Graham Arnold could be shown the door
The Socceroos opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a shock 1-0 loss to Bahrain which was compounded by a frustrating 0-0 away draw with Indonesia (skipper Mat Ryan is pictured)
Australia take on China on October 10 in Adelaide, before facing Japan in Saitama five days later.
The Blue Samurai are flying in group C, unbeaten in their first two games, scoring 12 goals and conceding none.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and America, with an expanded 48 nations taking part.
Meanwhile, Football Australia are poised to appoint an interim Matildas coach in the next seven to 10 days as the replacement for Tony Gustavsson.
Johnson confirmed the Matildas will tackle Chinese Taipei twice in December, with both matches in Victoria at AAMI Park and Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium.
They also are pencilled in to take on Germany on October 29 in Duisburg.
