Australia defeats Peru and qualifies for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The Australian national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,
after winning the qualifying play-off match for the tournament over Peru 5-4 on penalties,
after the end of the regular and extra time with a goalless draw.
The Australian team succeeded in reaching the finals for the fifth time in a row and the sixth in its history, as it was the first time in the 1974 edition, before participating in 2006, 2010, 2014,
and 2018 editions, and it will also be the sixth representative of the Asian continent in the World Cup
The original and extra time of the match ended in a goalless draw before the penalty shootout was applied to the Australian team,
which used substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, who managed to stop the last blow that granted his country qualification.
The Australian team will be in Group D of the World Cup,
which includes France, the defending champions, Denmark and Tunisia.
With this match done and dusted, there remains only one place left to fill in the World Cup draw. That spot belongs to either New Zealand or Costa Rica, who will meet tomorrow in the Concacaf-Oceania playoff. The winner will join Spain, Germany and Japan in Group E. Lucky them.
Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne emerged an unlikely hero after he saved the last spot kick
Australia’s dancing substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne saved the last penalty to clinch a place at this year’s World Cup in Qatar as they edged Peru 5-4 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw after extra time in an inter-continental playoff on Monday.
Redmayne danced across the goal-line before diving to the right to stop a penalty from Alex Valera and hand Australia a deserved victory at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
