Australia Qualify For 2014 World Cup

[Folami David]

Australia secured their place at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil on Tuesday with a late strike from Josh Kennedy firing them to a tense 1-0 win over an under-strength Iraq at Stadium Australia.
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It was an unconvincing victory in front of a sell-out 80 000 crowd, but ensured the Socceroos will appear at their third consecutive World Cup, alongside Japan who are already through from Asian Group B qualifying.
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The result put Australia on 13 points, out of reach of Oman (nine points) and Jordan (seven points) who play later on Wednesday.
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Australia wasted countless chances in wet conditions before coach Holger Osieck replaced a visibly angry Tim Cahill with Kennedy in the 77th minute.
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But the towering Nagoya Grampus striker justified the substitution when he saved the day with a clinical 83rd-minute header that sent the crowd wild.
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"I'm proud of everybody. It's been a really hard campaign but we showed our mental strength," captain Lucas Neill said. "I'm sorry it wasn't pretty but we beat them.
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"We've got to keep pushing ourselves," he added.
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"Let's look at the positives tonight – we're going to Brazil!"
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Osieck kept his faith in the team that impressively beat Jordan 4-0 in Melbourne last week and they repaid the German, but it was not the authoritative performance that many were expecting.
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He was relieved that his team scrambled over the line.
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"It was a very tough qualifying campaign but we made it happen over the last three games," said Osieck. "I'm simply happy for the boys and the fans.
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It was a tricky game, they are tough to play."
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Former Asian champions Iraqi had no chance of qualifying for Brazil and were without veteran skipper Younis Mahmoud and midfield maestro Nashat Akram, who opted not to play.
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Attacking midfielder Alaa Abdul-Zahra was also absent with the team predominantly made up of players who will compete at the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey later in June.
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Their inexperience showed and they were immediately on the back foot with a left-foot strike by Cahill in the second minute forcing a fine save from Noor Sabri, one of only two survivors from Iraq's 2007 Asian Cup-winning team.

[Shola Sholaz]

Australia as a country are the least I expected to qualify this soon for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. Congratz to them