Wanderer Calem Nieuwenhof has been named in Subway Olyroos’ Head Coach Tony Vidmar’s 23-player squad for the prestigious Maurice Revello Tournament in France next month.
The players will first assemble at the AIS European Training Centre in Varese, Italy on May 26 for a six-day camp in preparation for the Maurice Revello Tournament to be played at six venues across Aix-en-Provence. The tournament will feature twelve U-23 national men’s teams from five confederations, where Australia will play at least four matches from 6 – 18 June, providing ideal tournament preparation for September’s AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ qualifiers.
In the tournament draw released during March, Australia was drawn in Group B with Qatar (6 June, Aubagne), Togo (9 June, Mallemort) and Mexico (12 June, Aubagne). Group A features Costa Rica, France, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela with Group C comprising of Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Japan and Panama.
The Maurice Revello Tournament (formally known as the Toulon Tournament), is usually for U-20 and U-21 national teams, however, to support countries prepare for Paris 2024 Olympics™ qualification, this year teams can feature players born between 2001 – 2004.
“The Maurice Revello Tournament is vitally important to our preparations for September’s U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, as this will be our last real activity, competition wise,” said Head Coach Tony Vidmar.
“We will face three different types of opposition during the group stage and could potentially play up to five matches in the space of a fortnight, subjecting the players to similar tournament conditions we will face during September’s qualifiers and next year’s Asian Cup should we qualify.”
“We head to France with an intent to win and will use every opportunity to gain valuable experience leading into the qualifiers,” explained Vidmar.
New faces to the Australian U-23 squad – who didn’t attend the camp during the March FIFA men’s international window also in Italy – are senior national team squad members Garang Kuol (Newcastle United FC on loan to Heart of Midlothian FC) and Marco Tilio (Melbourne City FC), along with defenders Hosine Bility (CD Mafra) and Jacob Farrell (Central Coast Mariners FC), plus Subway Young Socceroos’ captain Joshua Rawlins (FC Utrecht II). Also called up for their first Olyroos’ camp is goalkeeper Ethan Cox (Adelaide United FC) and Young Socceroos’ defender Nectarios Triantis (Central Coast Mariners FC).
With this pre-camp and tournament occurring outside of the FIFA men’s international window, several players were unavailable for selection due to club commitments, including but limited to Jordan Bos (Melbourne City FC), Alexander Robertson (Manchester City FC) and Patrick Yazbek (Viking FK).
Those selected for this pre-camp and tournament who are contesting the current Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s Finals, will join up with the squad upon the conclusion of their respective season.
Vidmar has also named five train-on players who will attend the pre-camp in Italy, where one will be selected as the final member for the 24-strong squad closer to the commencement of the Maurice Revello Tournament.
Those train-on players are defender Aidan Coyne (Watford FC, Youth), midfielders Zak Gilsenan (Blackburn Rovers FC, Youth) and Caleb Watts (Morecambe FC), plus forwards Alou Kuol (VfB Stuttgart) and Jahce Novello (Cosenza Calcio).
Talking about the selected squad, Vidmar said: “We are continually monitoring upwards of sixty players for this qualifying campaign and beyond. We’ve brought in some new faces for this tournament, as we look to trial some combinations and build depth within the program, because due the nature and timing of the qualifiers and finals, having options will be required.”
With Australia’s U-17, U-20 and senior national teams all due to play matches or tournaments throughout June, the U-23 coaching panel for the Italian camp and Maurice Revello Tournament will consist of Subway Young Socceroos’ Head Coach Trevor Morgan (pre-camp only) and Subway Socceroos’ Assistant Coach René Meulensteen (first week of Maurice Revello Tournament), with former Socceroo and Olympian Aurelio Vidmar to be the First Assistant Coach for the full duration.
The draw for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ qualifiers is set to take place on May 25, where the teams are seeded according to their performance in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022™. On that occasion, the Australians reached the semi-finals, losing 2-nil to the eventual tournament winners, Saudi Arabia.
To qualify for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™, Australia will need to finish as group winner or be one of the four best second placed teams among all eleven groups.
Should the Subway Olyroos qualify for the 16-team AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, they need to finish in the top three to automatically qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics as the AFC representatives, while the fourth-best team will play an AFC-CAF play-off match for the final qualification spot.
Subway Olyroos’ Maurice Revello Tournament 2023 – Group Schedule
2.00pm (local) Tuesday, 6 June vs Qatar at Aubagne
2.00pm (local) Friday, 9 June vs Togo at Mallemort
2.00pm (local) Monday, 12 June vs Mexico at Aubagne
Maurice Revello Tournament 2023 – Ranking Matches – Schedule
2.00pm (local), Thursday, 14 June: 11th vs 12th and 7th vs 8th at Arles & Miramas
6.00pm (local), Thursday, 14 June: 9th vs 10th and 5th vs 6th at Arles & Miramas
Maurice Revello Tournament 2023 – Semi-Finals – Schedule
2.30pm (local) Friday, 15 June: Semi-Final #1 at Salon
6.00pm (local) Friday, 15 June: Semi-Final #2 at Salon
Maurice Revello Tournament 2023 – Finals – Schedule
2.30pm (local) Sunday, 18 June: 3rd vs 4th at Salon
6.00pm (local) Sunday, 18 June: Final at Salon
A championship system will be in operation for this tournament, where each team is playing for three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a defeat. In the event of a tie at the end of a match, a penalty shoot-out will be held. The team that wins the penalty shoot-out will receive an additional point in the ranking.
SUBWAY OLYROOS’ SQUAD l MAURICE REVELLO TOURNAMENT l 26 MAY – 18 JUNE 2023
| NAME | POSITION | CURRENT CLUB (as at 15 May ’23) | JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB |
| BILITY, Hosine | Defender | CD Mafra, Portugal | Croydon Kings FC (Football South Austalia) |
| BILOKAPIC, Nicholas | Goalkeeper | Huddersfield Town AFC, England | Sydney United 58 FC (Football NSW) |
| BOTIC, Noah | Forward | Western United FC | Hurstville ZFC (Football NSW) |
| BROOK, Lachlan | Forward | Crew Alexandra FC, England | Gawler Eagles FC (Football South Australia) |
| COOK, Cameron | Goalkeeper | Perth Glory FC | Vikings FC (Football Northern Territory) |
| COURTNEY-PERKINS, Jordan | Defender | Brisbane Roar FC | Newmarket SFC (Football Queensland) |
| COX, Ethan | Goalkeeper | Adelaide United FC | Salisbury United FC (Football South Australia) |
| D’ARRIGO, Louis | Midfielder | Adelaide United FC | West Torrens Birkalla SC (Football South Australia) |
| FARRELL, Jacob | Defender | Central Coast Mariners FC | Wyoming FC (Football NSW) |
| FRANCOIS, Marlee | Midfielder | Bristol City FC (Youth), England | Camden Tigers FC (Football NSW) |
| HOLLMAN, Jake | Midfielder | Macarthur FC | Seaforth FC (Football NSW) |
| ITALIANO, Jacob | Forward | Borussia Monchengladbach II, Germany | Inglewood United FC (Football West) |
| JELACIC, Keegan | Midfielder | Perth Glory FC | Coomera Colts SC (Football Queensland) |
| KUOL, Garang | Forward | Heart of Midlothian FC | Shepparton SC (Football Victoria) |
| MAURAGIS, Lucas | Defender | Wellington Phoenix FC | Merimbula Grasshoppers FC (Football NSW) |
| NIEUWENHOF, Calem | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Curl Curl FC (Football NSW) |
| PEUPION, Cameron | Forward | Brighton Hove & Albion FC (Youth) | Wakehurst FC (Football NSW) |
| RAWLINS, Joshua | Defender | FC Utrecht II, Netherlands | Dianella Junior SC (Football West) |
| TALBOT, Callum | Defender | Melbourne City FC | Gymea United FC (Football NSW) |
| TEAGUE, Ryan | Midfielder | FC Famalicao U-23, Portugal | Maroubra United FC (Football NSW) |
| TILIO, Marco | Forward | Melbourne City FC | APIA Leichhardt FC & Sydney Olympic FC (Football NSW) |
| TRIANTIS, Nectarios | Defender | Central Coast Mariners FC | Canterbury Junior FC (Football NSW) |
| VELUPILLAY, Nishan | Forward | Melbourne Victory FC | Endeavour United FC (Football Victoria) |
SUBWAY OLYROOS’ TRAIN-ON PLAYERS l PRE-CAMP l 26 MAY – 1 JUNE 2023
| NAME | POSITION | CURRENT CLUB (as at 15 May ’23) | JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB |
| COYNE, Aidan | Defender | Watford FC (Youth), England | Perth Glory FC (Football West) |
| GILSENAN, Zak | Midfielder | Blackburn Rovers FC (Youth), England | Sorrento FC (Football West) |
| KUOL, Alou | Forward | VfB Stuttgart, Germany | Shepparton SC (Football Victoria) |
| NOVELLO, Jahce | Forward | Cosenza Calcio, Italy | South West Phoenix FC (Football West) |
| WATTS, Caleb | Midfielder | Morecambe FC, England | Queens Park Rangers FC (England) |