Australia emerged victorious in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup Final against Argentina, and once again return to Australia to celebrate a third straight international championship, having won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, and 2006 FIFA World Cup.
However, this time it's not just a tournament victory to celebrate, as a raft of players announced their international retirement after the Asian Cup, with a final celebration of their international careers.
Australia's captain Mark Viduka will play his 114th and final match for the Socceroos, with his career spanning 114 goals. Will he add anymore in his final match?
Also announcing their international retirements, and expected to be handed a start in their final match are Zeljko Kalac, John Aloisi, Stan Lazaridis, and Josip Skoko. These retirements come after those that occurred prior to the Asian Cup by Tony Popovic, and Tony Vidmar.
Interim manager Graham Arnold has also announced that he will be stepping down to focus on managing the Olyroos towards qualification for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Rob Baan - FFA's technical director - will lead the team for the upcoming Nigeria friendly, before a permanent appointment is made ahead of the first match in qualifying in March 2008.
With Australia winning both the FIFA World Cup in 2006, and the AFC Asian Cup in 2007, both Australia and losing finalists Korea Republic have qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations World Cup held in South Africa.
26 June @ 8pm AEST
