This year, Australia have had a mixed bag of performances. In their Asian Cup campaign, they drew 1-1 with Uzbekistan, only to be beaten 1-2 by South Korea in the knockout rounds. Even after making it to the last 18, Australia's performance remained sluggish, losing 0-1 to Bahrain at home and exchanging a 0-0 draw with Indonesia in the second round. After two rounds, Australia was left without a single point and dropped to fifth place in Group C, while China suffered consecutive Waterloos.
After the 0-0 stalemate against Indonesia, Australia head coach Arnold entertained the idea of leaving his job. He said, "After the game, I made a decision. After much deliberation, my instincts told me that it was time to make a change for myself and for the team."
"My decision to resign is based on deep consideration for the country, the players and the Australian soccer team. I have given my all to this position and I am immensely proud of my achievements during my tenure."
Arnold's departure did not catch the Australian Football Federation off guard. After all, on October 10, they will face their third opponent in the Top 18 - China. Despite China's limited strength, Australia deserves not to lose in the Top 18. Their opponents in the same group are strong, with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Bahrain all eyeing tickets to the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Interestingly, Australia is not the first team in the Top 18 to change its coach. Just the day before, Oman, which lost in the first two rounds, also announced the departure of head coach Shirhawi. Oman's performance in the first two rounds of the Top 18 was a 0-1 loss to Iraq and a 1-3 defeat to South Korea, with Shirhawi leading the team to two consecutive losses and a bottom spot in Group B. Eventually, the Oman Football Association made the decision to let him go.
Like Australia and Oman, who underperformed in the first two rounds, the Chinese men's soccer team, which lost by nine goals in the first two rounds, chose to continue to trust head coach Ivan. The CFA seems to have let it go completely, unwilling to make any more waves in the coaching search.
