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Australian captain Lucas Neill says complacency won’t be an issue against Bahrain despite the Socceroos having already established themselves as the team to beat in the final stage of World Cup qualification.
Australia head into Wednesday’s (Thursday AEDT) qualifier in Manama sitting pretty atop their group with wins against Uzbekistan and Qatar in their first two matches and knowing another precious away win would be a giant leap towards qualification for South Africa 2010.
Although facing a short and disjointed preparation, the Socceroos are firm favourites against a Bahrain side sitting fourth in the five-team group with just a solitary point.
But Neill has warned his side cannot take the challenge lightly and said there would be “no excuses” for anything but another business-like performance in the Persian Gulf island nation.
“I think this is going to be a very tough game,” the West Ham skipper said after Australia’s first training run on Sunday night, which involved only the first seven players to arrive in Bahrain.
“Obviously the fact we’ve put ourselves out in front now, we’re there to be beaten.
“But I think the response from a professional approach has been fantastic in the first two games and we’ll be looking to do exactly the same again.
“There won’t be a chance for complacency because the manager and I won’t allow it.
“We’re here to win another game and if we can win that game then what a fantastic position we’ll be in.”
Neill arrived in Manama on Sunday, along with Mark Schwarzer, David Carney, Bruce Djite, Chris Coyne, Shane Stefanutto and Jade North.
Most of the remaining squad members, including Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Josh Kennedy, will come into camp on Monday, while Palermo’s Mark Bresciano and Hull City’s Richard Garcia are not expected to arrive until Tuesday.
However Celtic striker Scott McDonald is in grave doubt for the match after illness kept him of of Sunday’s 2-1 win over Hamilton, though Socceroos officials were yet to officially rule him out.
It means the bulk of the squad will have just two training sessions with coach Pim Verbeek before Wednesday’s match, a scenario not unfamiliar in this campaign.
At least the match is likely to be played in conditions far less testing than the severe environments experienced in Doha, Dubai and Tashkent earlier this year.
Temperatures are expected to reach only 25 degrees Celsius on game day and will have dropped considerably by the time the match kicks off at 6pm local time (0200 Thursday AEDT).
“It’s surprised us, it’s nice and pleasant out here actually,” Neill said.
“I think the conditions are perfect, we’ve not seen the match pitch yet, but there’s no excuses.”
Verbeek will assess the condition of his players, most of whom played in weekend European club matches, before deciding on his team with a number of players carrying injuries and some others lacking in match practice.
Matthew Spiranovic (ankle), Mark Milligan (Achilles), Vince Grella and Brett Emerton (both hamstring) have already been ruled out of the match, as has Craig Moore following his shock diagnosis with testicular cancer last week.
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