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Roos keen to round out WCQs against Jordan

Anna HarringtonAAP
Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold will name a full-strength side to play Jordan in Kuwait.
Camera IconSocceroos head coach Graham Arnold will name a full-strength side to play Jordan in Kuwait. Credit: AP

Graham Arnold will deploy a full-strength Socceroos team against Jordan in a bid to complete the second round of World Cup qualifying with a perfect record.

The Socceroos have already guaranteed top spot in group B, a place in the third round of World Cup qualifying and a berth at the 2023 Asian Cup after adding victories over Kuwait, Taiwan and Nepal in the Kuwait hub to their previous four wins.

Jordan must secure at least a point to ensure they finish second ahead of Kuwait - who play Taiwan at the same time and could need a win to be one of the four best-placed runners-up that progress to the third round of qualifying.

But Arnold, who lauded his squad's resilience in the Kuwait bubble, said he would put out his "strongest team" in a bid to secure Australia the maximum 24 points from their eight games.

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"The nation should be extremely proud of them because I'm exceptionally proud of the boys," Arnold said.

The Game AFL 2024

"The way they've dealt with this but also the professionalism of them over the last three weeks. And it hasn't been easy," Arnold said.

"Being in lockdown in a hotel in Kuwait where we've hardly seen the sun.

"Ten minutes a day we see the sun, and we're training at night, playing at night.

"They've dealt with it brilliantly and it's something that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

"But we've got one game to go and the most important thing is that we finish this off with a great performance."

Striker Adam Taggart scored the only goal in Australia's 1-0 away win over Jordan in November 2019 and after entering camp with a hip issue, will make his first appearance in the current window.

"You will see Adam Taggart at some stage during the game, it's just a question of whether he starts or comes on," Arnold said.

"But he's in much better shape now and he's ready to go so he will get game time."

The game kicks off at 2am Wednesday AEST at Jaber Al-Hamad International Stadium

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