Exciting Central Coast Mariners midfielder Oliver Bozanic has today been named in the Qantas Olyroos squad that will travel to Japan this week.
Exciting Central Coast Mariners midfielder Oliver Bozanic has today been named in the Qantas Olyroos squad that will travel to Japan this week.
The aspiring Olympians will play an international friendly against the Japanese U-23 National team at the Tohoku Denryoku Bigswan Stadium, Niigata on Wednesday 1 June.
The match will be a curtain raiser before the Kirin Cup fixture between Japan and Peru.
Following three recent training camps for Australian-based players – all of which Bozanic has been involved in – Qantas Olyroos coach Auerilo Vidmar is looking forward to testing his team against Japan.
“We finished our local camps well and made plenty of progress but we still have a little way to go in terms of our match fitness,” Vidmar said.
“This match against the Japanese, who are a quality team, will show us where we are at and what we need to work on.”
Mariners mentor Graham Arnold expressed his delight at the news Bozanic had maintained his place within the squad, and wished one of his star midfielders well during the tour.
“Oli is a good kid and he deserves these types of rewards for the effort he puts in day in day out,” Arnold said.
Following the friendly match, Bozanic and his Qantas Olyroos teammates will return to Australia to prepare for the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games Asian Qualifiers.
Australia will face Yemen on the 19th and 23rd June 2011 with the venues to be confirmed by the AFC shortly.
