Socceroos prepare for resolute Saudi challenge in vital World Cup qualifier

Australia's Socceroos will face a determined Saudi Arabia side in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Thursday (AEDT), with a place at the 2022 tournament in Qatar on the line.

The Socceroos currently sit third in Group B of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying group, two points behind second-placed Japan and seven adrift of leaders Saudi Arabia. With just two games remaining, Australia needs to win both matches and hope other results go their way to secure automatic qualification.

The Saudis are unbeaten in their last seven matches and have only conceded one goal in that period. They will be confident of beating Australia in Jeddah and taking a significant step towards securing their place at the World Cup.

The Socceroos will be without several key players for the match, including injured captain Mat Ryan and suspended defender Trent Sainsbury. However, coach Graham Arnold is confident his team has the quality to get the result they need.

"We know it's going to be a tough game," Arnold said. "Saudi Arabia is a very good team, but we're confident in our ability to win. We've got a lot of quality in our squad, and we're going to go out there and give it our all."

The match will be played at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, March 24, at 11 pm AEDT.