Abhay Singh
New Australia boss Tony Popovic acted swiftly to revamp the Socceroos’ coaching staff following Graham Arnold’s exit. In a strategic move, he named Hayden Foxe, who has been a loyal deputy for an extended period, and also enlisted the expertise of former teammate Paul Okon to serve as assistant coaches.
This comprehensive shake-up demonstrates Popovic’s commitment to assembling a strong and experienced coaching team to lead the national team towards future success.
The appointments announced on Monday
Foxe, a former center defender for Australia, worked under Popovic at Perth Glory and the Western Sydney Wanderers, and Okon’s most recent position was assistant coach at Club Brugge KV in Belgium.
The choices made public on Monday occur one week after Popovic—who resigned as head coach following Asia’s dismal start to the third round of World Cup qualifying—was revealed as Arnold’s replacement.
René Meulensteen and Luke Wilkshire, Arnold’s dependable assistants, are replaced by Foxe and Okon. Frank Juric, who will take John Crawley’s place as goalkeeping coach, was also announced by Popovic.
Popovic said “Each of them brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will be instrumental in our journey ahead,”
Australia is five points adrift of Group C leader Japan
The next World Cup qualifier, which the Socceroos must win to restart their quest for a sixth consecutive trip at the World Cup finals, is Popovic and his new staff’s first test on October 10.
Australia’s rare home loss to Bahrain and their draw with Indonesia in Jakarta have left them five points behind Group C leaders Japan in fifth position in the Asian World Cup qualifying rankings.
In Group C, the teams that secure the top two positions will secure direct qualification to participate in the North American 2026 World Cup. However, the third and fourth place teams will have the opportunity to continue their journey by advancing to the preliminary stage of the tournament.
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