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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Ben Ramage

Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain urged to grab World Cup opportunity after St Mirren duo bag Australia call-up

Saints duo Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain have both been given a chance to earn themselves a spot in Australia's World Cup squad.

The pair, who both joined St Mirren over the summer, have been named in a 31-man Socceroos squad that will face New Zealand twice in the upcoming international break.

Australia will take on current World champions France, Denmark and Tunisia when the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar in November.

And their head coach Graham Arnold revealed every single player in the squad now has the chance to prove they deserve to be in their final tournament squad that travels to the Middle East.

Arnold said: "This camp is the last opportunity we will have to work with the squad ahead of November’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament, and all players are competing for a spot in the final squad which will be announced in early November.

“With two games in four days, this camp provides us with a unique opportunity to bring in some new players who can push for selection ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

“I’m excited to see a number of young Australian’s gaining great experience across Europe and throughout Asia, and it is important we bring them into the national team environment to build on our depth and assess their capabilities at this level.

“We have been closely monitoring our players since qualifying for the FIFA World Cup and are regularly speaking with them about this opportunity. I can’t wait to get back into camp to work with our experienced group of players and the next generation of emerging stars.

“The incentive couldn’t be bigger, there’s a place at the FIFA World Cup at stake and if you’re working hard and playing well then there’s an opportunity for you to represent your country on the biggest stage."

Saints defender Strain has been called up to the Australia national team before, back in August 2021 ahead of World Cup qualifiers against China and Vietnam. He was injured in training the day before the first match and missed out on earning his first cap.

Former Western Sydney Wanderers star Baccus has never been called up to the senior side before, but did represent his country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He earned 13 caps for Australia's under-23 side overall.

The pair may face off against St Mirren teammate Alex Greive when the two countries clash later this month, with the striker called up by the All Whites earlier this month.

New Zealand narrowly missed out on a place at the 2022 World Cup, losing 1-0 to Costa Rica in their winner-takes-all play-off final in June.

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