Five Victorians in Joeys squad for 2019 AFF U-15 Championship Confirmed

Five Victorians are among Joeys Head Coach Trevor Morgan's 23 player squad to represent Australia at the 2019 AFF U-15 Championship in Chonburi, Thailand.

Australia will take on hosts Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam in Group B of the competition.

Jai Curran-Nicholls (Glen Eira FC), Massimo D'Argenio (Moreland Zebras), George Karvounis (Melbourne Victoria), Alexander Menelaou (Melbourne City FC), James Nieuwenhuizen (Goulburn Valley Suns FC) all made the squad announced today.

Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Singapore, and Philippines will contest Group A, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Semi-Finals of the tournament.

 

The Group Stage will commence on July 27, while the Final will be held on August 9. 

“The 2019 AFF U-15 Championship represents the start of this Joeys age group’s journey to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2021,” Morgan said.

“With a minimum of five and up to seven international matches over the two weeks of the tournament, the AFF U-15 Championship will give the players selected a great introduction to international football. 

READ MORE: Joeys learn opponents at FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019 
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“Our time in Chonburi will also provide our staff with the chance to work on some key principles with the boys ahead of our 2020 AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers in Vietnam in September this year,” he said. 

Ahead of the trip to Thailand the Joeys will hold a brief training camp in Narrabeen north of Sydney. 

Seven additional players will join the camp in Narrabeen – Noah Gardner (South Hobart FC, TAS), Jake Girdwood-Reich (Sydney FC, NSW), Julian Monge (Western Sydney Wanderers FC, NSW), Josip Orlovic (Gk) (Sydney United, NSW), Alexander Trajanoski (Blacktown Spartans, NSW), Zac Waddell (Central Coast Mariners FC, NSW), and Jesper Webber (Western Sydney Wanderers FC, NSW). 

Joeys 23-Player Squad | 2019 AFF U-15 Championship (27 July – 9 August 2019) | Chonburi, Thailand

Upcoming Matches – Joeys | 2019 AFF U-15 Championship | Chonburi, Thailand

Cambodia v Australia
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium 2, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 3.30pm (local); 6.30pm (AEST)

Laos v Australia
Date: Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium 1, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 3.00pm (local); 6.00pm (AEST)

Australia v Malaysia
Date: Thursday, 1 August 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium 1, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 3.00pm (local); 6.00pm (AEST)

Australia v Thailand
Date: Saturday, 3 August 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium 1, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 6.00pm (local); 9.00pm (AEST)

Brunei Darussalam v Australia
Date: Monday, 5 August 2019
Location: IPE Chonburi Stadium 2, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 3.30pm (local); 6.30pm (AEST)

Please note that FFA currently has two Joeys age groups in operation. The older age group (currently in camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra) is preparing for this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil. The younger age group identified above is commencing its path towards the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2021. This path includes participation at the 2019 AFF U-15 Championship, 2020 AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers (September 2019), and potentially the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship (September-October 2020).