The road to Qatar will end in Qatar for either Australia or the United Arab Emirates this week. One team will return home and start preparations for the 2023 Asian Cup; the other will stay in Doha to take on Peru in an intercontinental play-off six days later, with the winner of that game returning in November for games against France, Denmark and Tunisia.
Roel Coumans will be watching Tuesday’s game (early Wednesday AEST) with more interest than most neutrals and has had a foot in both camps. The Dutchman joined the Socceroos set-up in January 2018 as Bert van Marwijk’s No 2 and the pair left the UAE national team in February this year following disappointing results in World Cup qualification.
