Preview: Syria vs. Australia

Cairo – 10 October 2017: Syria faces Australia on Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. (Cairo Time) in the second leg of the Asia play-offs of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Stadium Australia, Sydney.

Syria loses five key players for Australia game, as Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani have injuries, while the team will also miss the defender Hadi Al Masri, the midfielder Khaled Mobayed and the striker Omar Khribin due to suspension.

“We’ve faced many obstacles from the start. Five key players is a big loss for us, but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying, and they believe in themselves,” Syria manager Ayman El Hakim told press on Monday.

El Hakim added, “The game in Malaysia was the first half, and tomorrow will be the second half. Both teams know each other well, and there will be no surprises.”

It is good to mention that the first leg ended with a 1-1 draw, after Omar El Souma scored the equalizer for the Syrian team from a penalty minutes before the final whistle, after Australia had taken the lead in the 38th minute with a goal by Robbie Kruse.