Australian National Team coach Tony Popovic has set one target for their opening match in the 2026 World Cup in the Group D preliminary round against Turkey at BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday local time: to perform competitively.
"That's our main goal tomorrow: to be very competitive, to show that we are a strong team and deserve respect," Popovic said in pre-match comments reported on FIFA's official website on Saturday.
Popovic admitted that he and his team had analyzed Türkiye's strengths ahead of their meeting and described their opponents as a strong team both individually and collectively.
He emphasized that his team must be ready to face the challenge, while calling Türkiye a team full of spirit and backed by the strong support of its fans at every opportunity.
"We know they're strong, we've analyzed them, but we also have to think about ourselves and how we can cause them problems and show Australian football at the World Cup," he said.
