History beckons but a 'fearless' opponent awaits the Socceroos

Australia is gearing up for a crucial round-of-32 World Cup match against Egypt, with a primary concern being the fitness of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who left their previous game with a hamstring issue. Socceroos assistant coach Hayden Foxe stated that his team will be prepared for Salah at his best, acknowledging his talent but stressing their focus on their own performance. "All we can do is control how we will measure up and how we will combat the opposition and who they start and who they don't start," Foxe said.

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It didn't look good for him to come off in such an important game at 1-1 … to come off at that moment. There might be something there, but he's a player of enormous talent and I'm sure he'll be doing everything that he can to play in this game. All we can do is control how we will measure up and how we will combat the opposition and who they start and who they don't start.

Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan indicated Salah requested his substitution and would be assessed, along with other injured players like Ahmed Fatouh and Hamdi Fathi. Despite Salah and Omar Marmoush being key figures, Foxe cautioned against complacency, highlighting Egypt's strong form, including an unbeaten qualification for the African Cup of Nations and good performances against Brazil and Spain. "You look at their qualification through the AFCON they didn't lose a game," Foxe noted.

The Socceroos are on the brink of history, aiming for their first men's World Cup knockout game victory. They have reached this stage twice before, losing to Italy in 2006 and Argentina in 2022. The match will take place in Dallas, Texas, in an indoor, air-conditioned stadium, offering a controlled environment despite the high external temperatures.

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You look at their qualification through the AFCON they didn't lose a game. In their warm-up games, they played Brazil, they played Spain … they had very good performances. So they're a good side. But you know what, we have real good belief, we have good confidence with the group, whoever starts, whoever plays, and we know that everyone will be ready for this game. They have some real natural technical talent, play kind of fearlessly.

Egypt's path to this stage included a draw against Iran, where a late Iranian goal was disallowed for offside. This result meant Egypt finished second in their group, setting up the clash with Australia. The Egyptian squad, while featuring prominent names, has utilized only 17 players in the tournament so far, a fact Foxe believes his team can exploit.

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The beauty of the (stadium) in Dallas is that it's indoors, it's air conditioned, so it's going to be very similar temperatures to here.