Subway Australian U23 squad confirmed for fixtures in Korea Republic

Subway Australian U23s Head Coach, Tony Vidmar has selected a 23-player squad for a series of fixtures with Korea Republic during the June FIFA Men’s International Window.

Australia will assemble in Yongin, Korea Republic for two matches, ahead of their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Qualifiers in September.

Tony Vidmar’s squad will learn of their opponents in qualification on the eve of this upcoming window, with the Official Draw set to take place on Thursday, 29 May (6pm AEST).

Vidmar has selected a squad of largely Isuzu UTE A-League Men talent, with the exception of Giuseppe Bovalina (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Garang Kuol (Newcastle United FC), Ariath Piol (Real Salt Lake) and Mohamed Toure (Randers FC).

The selection of Australian-based players will allow Vidmar and his staff to work with several new faces, with a view to building greater depth across the cohort in the months leading up to the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™.

Patrick Beach (Melbourne City FC) and Jordi Valadon (Melbourne Victory FC) return to the squad having already amassed extensive experience in the U23 program, and will be joined by Kealey Adamson (Macarthur FC), Rhys Bozinovski (Western United FC) and Oscar Priestman (Western Sydney Wanderers FC) following excellent performances throughout the 2024/25 season.

Doha International U23 Cup Player of the Tournament, Yaya Dukuly (Adelaide United) will be looking to build on his strong performances in the Subway Australian U23s’ last assembly, along with club teammates Ethan Alagich and Ethan Cox.

Several eligible U23 players were not considered for selection in this window as they manage injuries and physical workload or are in the process of moving clubs during the off-season.

Subway Australian U23s Head Coach, Tony Vidmar said the friendlies would provide a great platform for players to impress in the face of high-quality opposition.

“We’ve been able to secure two games against a very strong nation, this will not only be a great development opportunity for these players but a chance to show us their individual qualities,” Vidmar said.

“We had some strong results in the March window, which will be important to build on as we look to integrate new players into the environment.

“This will be our final activity before our Qualifiers in September so it’s important we plan, prepare and play well ahead of what will be an important first step for this group on the road the U23 Asian Cup,” Vidmar concluded.

MATCH DETAILS:

Korea Republic U23 v Subway Australian U23
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Yongin Mireu Stadium, Korea Republic
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 8.00pm AEST

Korea Republic U23 v Subway Australian U23
Monday, 9 June 2025
Venue TBC
Kick-off: TBC

AUSTRALIAN U-23 SQUAD | KOREA REPUBLIC FRIENDLIES | 2-10 JUNE