Qatar- Determined Donachie ready to roar at U23

1/14/2016 4:05:13 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) From left: Miura Toshiya of Vietnam Jamal Abu Abed of Jordan Abdulla Mesfer of UAE and Aurelio Vidmar of Australia all coaches pose for a group picture after a press conference in Doha yesterday on the eve of their AFC U23 matches. Picture by: Salim/The Peninsula

Doha: Australia defender James Donachie is in buoyant mood ahead of the Olyroos’ AFC U23 Championship opener against the UAE today despite having recently fallen down the pecking order at club side Brisbane Roar.

Last season Donachie featured in four AFC Champions League fixtures as well as 18 Hyundai A-League matches but has played just 12 minutes of the 2015/16 campaign in addition to a FFA (Football Federation Australia) Cup match against 2014 ACL winners Western Sydney Wanderers as team-mate Daniel Bowles emerged as the first choice of Roar coach John Aloisi.

Despite this Donachie refuses to be downbeat and believes that the competition for places at club level still stands him in good stead as the Olyroos look to add the AFC U23 title to AFC Asian Cup the Socceroos won last January.

“I feel good mentally and physically” Donachie told FFA TV.

“If you’re lucky enough to play Olyroos and in your club team as well then good on you but sometimes it’s not that easy as I’ve found out.

“But I feel good training has been good at Roar with [Head Coach John Aloisi] so I feel pretty sharp.”

Donachie who has made over 60 appearances for the Queensland-based side since making his debut against Gold Coast United in March 2012 was part of the Young Socceroos squad at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup starting in the 2-1 defeat to hosts Turkey in their final Group C match

Meanwhile Aurelio Vidmar will send Australia out to face the United Arab Emirates in their first game of the AFC U23 Championship on Thursday knowing the Gulf side will present a serious challenge to the Olyroos and their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.

The UAE were one of Asia’s three representatives for the 2012 Olympic Games in London having progressed from a qualification group that also contained Australia.

The Peninsula

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