Socceroos Awer Mabil and Aiden O’Neill optimistic ahead of World Cup qualifying campaign

Optimism is abounding within the Socceroos squad, with added depth and the rise of several first-team players giving Australia a shot in the arm ahead of a pivotal phase of World Cup qualifying.

Between several Socceroos plying their trade in one of Europe’s five main leagues — including prodigal Bayern Munich winger Nestory Irankunda — and increased competition for places, there is enthusiasm the Socceroos can punch their ticket to the looming World Cup.

While Irankunda is no certainty to start when Australia begin the third round of qualification against Bahrain on the Gold Coast on Thursday, it is that logjam for spots in Graham Arnold’s starting eleven which has winger Awer Mabil excited.

“It’s beautiful. I love the competition, and it’s credit to to Arnie and the coaching staff, they’ve put together a lot of players,” Mabil said.

Irankunda is the man of the moment after an impressive first pre-season with Bayern Munich, earning the favour of new coach Vincent Kompany and sharing the substitutes bench with the likes of Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies during their recent cup win over Ulm.

Mabil described Irankunda as his “little brother” and gave his fellow South Australian some advice when they met up in Munich recently after a pre-season game between Bayern and Mabil’s club Grasshopper Club Zurich.

“(I said) ‘look around you, you’ve got everything here. You’re training with some of the best players in the world,” Mabil said.

“Put your head down, work hard and try and pick their brains on what you can learn from every single player.

“Everybody your age would do anything in the world to be in your shoes.”

It is not just the wings where there is plenty of competition; Aiden O’Neill has found himself promoted to captain of Belgian side Standard Liege, but faces a fight from the likes of Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe, Keanu Baccus, Cam Devlin and Josh Nisbet to win a central midfielder berth.

“It’s very competitive, and I think the whole squad is. That speaks volumes of the team that we have and the team that we’re building,” O’Neill said.

“All the boys overseas, forging our careers over there, and all playing at really good level.”

Outside of Irankunda at Bayern, Irvine and Metcalfe have just helped St. Pauli earn promotion to the German Bundesliga, Alessandro Circati has made an impressive start to life in Serie A, Cam Burgess is part of the Ipswich side in the English Premier League.

The Socceroos are hoping this translates to a a top two finish in their third phase qualifying group, which would see them qualify for the World Cup in two years’ time.

Lobbed in a group with familiar foes Japan and Saudi Arabia, the Socceroos can still reach the tournament even if they miss out on a top-two berth via another round of qualifying.

But Mabil said they wanted to avoid the tense play-off situation they endured last time around.

“We always get Saudi, we always get Japan, but for us, we just focus on ourselves,” he said.

“The last qualifying was a little bit stressful, the way we had to do it, but we always find a way to do it.

“Our biggest target now is to do it directly, and that’s what we focus on. We don’t care about the opponent. Every game that we play, we have to win.”