CANBERRA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australia's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Nepal on October 10 will be held in Canberra, Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced on Friday.
This will mark the first time that Australia's senior men's national football team has played in the nation's capital since 2015.
It is part of a joint scheme by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and local governing body Capital Football to build Canberra into a "home of football", with the next 18 months to see more international matches involving the Socceroos - and their female counterparts, the Matildas - play in the city.
"Football is the largest team sport in Canberra with nearly 40,000 registered outdoor participants, so it is great that the football community of the ACT, and sports fans generally, will be able to watch the Socceroos live at GIO Stadium this October," said FFA Chief Executive David Gallop.
Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold, who is currently in Europe monitoring players ahead of the qualification campaign, welcomed the fact that the Nepal fixture would be staged in Canberra.
"Canberra's sporting community can take great pride in the fantastic Socceroos that the region has helped to develop over the years," Arnold said.
"Players like Ned Zelic, Carl Valeri and Tom Rogic are representative of the elite talent that has emerged from the area, and who continue to fly the flag for football in the nation's capital."
The coach also expressed confidence that his side would dominate the match against opponents currently ranked 166 in FIFA's world rankings.
"As a team we will arrive in Canberra focused and determined to produce a great Socceroos performance - one that we expect will not only help us on our journey to [the 2022 World Cup in] Qatar, but leave a positive and long-lasting impression for everyone that comes to watch us play Nepal." he said.
A total of 40 teams will play across eight groups in the second round of Asian qualifiers. Eight group winners and the four best runners-up will qualify for the third round.
