Written by Greg Stock

Sources: Doug Butcher and Thomas Esamie

Australia hosted a four nation Under 23 tournament featuring Nigeria, Egypt and South Korea. The tournament was part of the preperations for the 2000 Olympics.
Played: Sunday January 9 2000				Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Australia Joey Didulica, Chris Coyne, Hayden Foxe, Stephen Laybutt, Marco Bresciano, Tansel Baser, Brett Emerton, Kasey Wehrman (Mile Sterjovski 90), Jason Culina (Vince Grella 80), Danny Allsopp, Nick Rizzo (Jacob Burns 66). Cautions: Bresciano 29, Rizzo 51 Goal: Allsopp 41	1	-	0	Nigeria Dele Alyenugba, Anayele Okechukwu, Toefeek Oyeshipe, Harry Omokoh, Dooyum Imadu, Johnson Sunday, Sunday Chibulke Ibeji (Ugo Okoye 60), Rafiu Salahudeen (Emmanuel Issah 60), Philip Obhafuoso, Dandy Uchenne Okongo, Robert Akaruye (Chidi Odiah 87).
Referee: Gerry Connolly (Australia) Attendance: 5,807 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Moussa Abdulhal (Nigeria) Match Report
Played: Wednesday January 12 2000				Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Australia Peter Zois, Lucas Neill, Chris Coyne (Eddie Bosnar 28), Hayden Foxe, Stephen Laybutt, Tansel Baser, Marco Bresciano, Vince Grella, Brett Emerton, Danny Allsopp (Clayton Zane 79), Nick Rizzo (Kasey Wehrman 45). Cautions: Neill 46, Wehrman 67 Goal: Foxe 78	1	-	0	Egypt Amir Abdel Hamid Mohamad, Ramy Mohammad Adel (Abdel Zaher El-Sagga 90), Sedek Adbdel Mohamad, Hany Mohammad Said Zakaria, Abdelaziz Said, Sayed Moawad Mohamed Abdeluahed (Mohammad Aboutrika 83), Abdallah Ragab (Tarek Mahmoud El Sayed 72), Goma El Khartub, Ramy Said, Mohammed Zaki, Ahmed Farag Mohamed Belal. Cautions: Adel 18 Said 21, El Khartub 35 Red Card: Said 77
Referee: Simon Micallef (Australia) Attendance: 4,107 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Sigfried Hield (Egypt) Match Report
Played: Saturday January 15 2000				Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Australia Joey Didulica, Lucas Neill (Mile Sterjovski 85), Chris Coyne, Hayden Foxe, Eddie Bosnar, Tansel Baser (Jacob Burns 45), Marco Bresciano, Kasey Wehrman, Brett Emerton, Danny Allsopp (Clayton Zane 89), Nick Rizzo (Jason Culina 45). Cautions: Wehrman 22, Foxe 48	0	-	3	South Korea Kim Young-Dee, Park Jee-Hong, Park Jin-Seop, Sim Jee-Won (Na Hee-Keun 64), Lee Young-Pyo, Park Dong-Hyuk, Park Ji-Sung, Kim Do-Kyun, Lee Kwan-Woo (Cho Se-Kwon 64), Seoi Ki-Hyeon (Jang Sang-Won 78), Lee Dong-Gook (Choi Chui-Woo 67). Cautions: Young-Pyo 47, Jee-Hong 52, Se-Kwon 74 Goals: Ki-Hynon 14, Kwan-Woo 42, Dong-Gook 45+2
Referee: Eddie Lennie (Australia Attendance: 5,945 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Huh Jung-Moo (South Korea)
The Olyroos held a training camp in Europe as part of their preperation for the 2000 Olympic Games. They played two games against Slovvakia Under 21s and the Netherlands Olympic Team.
Played: Wednesday March 22 2000				Venue: Stadion pod Zoborom, Nitra, Slovakia
Slovakia Gejza Pulen (Peter Bartalsky 46), Peter Lerant, Milos Krsko (Marian Cisovsky 46), Peter Hilnka, Eduard Hrncer, Karol Kisel (Turza 88), Dusan Snisky (Andrej Supka 83), Andrej Porazik (Martin Petras 66), Vratislav Gresko, Martin Vyskoc (Jim Siahor 73), Marek Mintal (Miroslav Barcik 46). Caution: Hilnka Goal: Mintal 44	1	-	0	Australia Joey Didulica, Tansel Baser (Jacob Burns 46), Stephen Laybutt (Chris Coyne 30), Buddy Farah, Con Blatsis, Brett Emerton, Jason Culina (Marcon Bresciano 71), Vince Grella (Lucas Neill 75), Nick Rizzo (Kasey Wehrman 46), Michael Curcija (Kosta Salapasidis 60), Clayton Zane. Cautions: Blatsis, Grella 40, Zane 41, Farah 89
Referee: Lubomir Pucek (Czech Republic) Assistant Referees: Martin Vindis & Roman Slyzko (Slovakia) Attendance: 1,576 Coaches: Dusan Radolsky (Slovakia), Raul Blanco (Australia) Match Report 2
Played: Tuesday March 28 2000				Venue: Stadium de Baandert, Sittard, Netherlands
Netherlands Mark Zegars, Tim Cornelisse, John Nieuwenburg (Tim de Cier 46), Mark Van Bommel, Kevin Hofiand, Nellis Oude Kamphuis, Richard Knopper (Jean-Paul de Jong 70), Tom Van Der Leegte, Ellery Cairo (Victor Sikora 65), Johannes Vennegoor Hesselink (Robin Nelisse 42), Wilfred Bouma (Anthonius Lurling 55). Goals: Bouma 30, Lurling 70	2	-	1	Australia Joey Didulica, Lucas Neill, Con Blatsis, Buddy Farah, Chris Coyne, Vince Grella, Jacob Burns, Kasey Wehrman (Marco Bresciano 60), Jason Culina, Brett Emerton, Kosta Salapasidis (Michael Curcija 70).
Coaches: Johan Berger (Netherlands), Raul Blanco (Australia) Match Report
The Olyroos held a training camp in Australia in Brisbane and played some matches against local club sides.
Played: Monday July 10 2000				Venue: Palm Beach, Queensland
Gold Coast City (Lineup Not Known)	0	-	1	Australia Michael Turnbull, Ivan Zelic, Hayden Foxe, Buddy Farah (Dragi Nastevski 46), Simon Colosimo, Jacob Burns, Ljubo Milicevic, Mark Robertson, Paul Reid, Mile Sterjovski, Archie Thompson. Goal: Colosimo 81
Coach: Raul Blanco (Australia) Match Report
Played: Wednesday July 19 2000				Venue: Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast
Gold Coast City (Lineup Not Known) Goal: 20	1	-	4	Australia Michael Turnbull, Jonathan McKain (Scott Robertson 46), Ivan Zelic, Buddy Farah, Jacob Burns, Dragi Nastevski, James Johnson (Zeljko Susa 70), Ljubo Milicevic, Paul Reid, Lawrence Drake, Archie Thompson. Goals: Thompson 31, 68, Drake 55, Milicevic 62
Coach: Raul Blanco (Australia)
The Olyroos played two friendly games prior to the Olympic Games against the Olympic Games teams of Kuwait and South Africa. The first game against Kuwait was played 'behind closed doors.'
Played: Tuesday September 5 2000				Venue: Olympic Park, Melbourne
Australia Danny Milosevic, Stephen Laybutt, Stan Lazaridis, Simon Colosimo, Lucas Neill (Dragi Nastevski 69), Nick Rizzo, Kasey Wehrman (Archie Thompson 85), Vince Grella, Marco Bresciano, Michael Curcija, Clayton Zane. Goals: Bresciano 48, Zane 62, Curcija 69	3	-	0	Kuwait Shehab Kankone (Nawal Khalad Al-Khaldi 46), Jamal Mubarek Abdul-Rahman, Nasser Al-Othman (Naser Al-Omran 46), Sadoun Salman (Yousef Zayed 46), Nawaf Abdullah Al-Humaidan, Abdullah Saihan, Hamad Abdullah Al-Tayyer, Saleh Al-Beralky, Esam Al-Kandari, Bader Najem (Feraj Laheeb Saeed 46), Khalaf Salameh Al-Mutairi 46).
Referee: Jeremy Blaney (Australia) Attendance: No Public Access Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Radojko Avramovic (Kuwait) Match Report 1 & Match Report 2
The 2000 Olympic Games tournament saw the Olyroos drawn in Group A along with Italy, Nigeria and Honduras. The opening game against Italy was played in Melbourne two days before the Official opening ceremony in Sydney. The squad listing for all three teams in Group A can be found here.
Played: Wednesday September 13 2000				Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Australia Danny Milosevic, Hayden Foxe, Stephen Laybutt, Simon Colosimo, Stan Lazaridis, Josip Skoko (Lucas Neill 79), Brett Emerton, Kasey Wehrman (Marco Bresciano 66), Vince Grella (Nick Rizzo 86), Mark Viduka, Michael Curcija. Cautions: Skoko 34, Foxe 74, Bresciano 76, Laybutt 89	0	-	1	Italy Christian Abbiati, Alessandro Grandoni, Marco Zanchi, Bruno Cirillo, Gennaro Gattuso, Roberto Baronio (Cristiano Zanetti 58), Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Ambrosini, Gianni Comandini, Nicola Ventola (Massimo Margiotta 76), Andrew Pirio. Cautions: Grandoni 27, Zanchi 37, Gattuso 90+3 Goal: Pirio 81
Referee: Peter Prendergast (Jamaica) Assistant Referees: Volodymyr Petrov (Ukraine) & Ali Tomusange (Uganda) Attendance: 93,252 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Marco Tardelli (Italy) Various Match Report 1 - Match Report 2 - Match Report 3 - Match Report 4 - Match Report 5 - Match Report 6
Played: Saturday September 16 2000				Venue: Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney
Australia Danny Milosevic, Hayden Foxe, Stephen Laybutt, Simon Colosimo (Nick Rizzo 74), Stan Lazaridis, Josip Skoko, Brett Emerton, Kasey Wehrman (Lucas Neill 61), Vince Grella, Mark Viduka, Michael Curcija (Clayton Zane 79). Caution: Lazaridis 57 Red Card: Emerton 56 Goals: Foxe 41, Wehrman 44	2	-	3	Nigeria Greg Etafia, Celestine Babayaro, Christopher Kanu, Godwin Okpara, Isaac Okopronkwo, Azubuike Oliseh, Garba Lawal, Victor Agali, Yakubu Ayegbeni, Pius Ikedia, Julius Aghahowa. Cautions: Ayegbeni 35, Babayaro 43, Oliseh 57, Aghahowa 88 Red Card: Babayaro 56 Goals: Ikedia 16, Aghahowa 22, Agali 64
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil) Assistant Referees: Vladimir Fernandez Alfaro (El Salvador) & Volodymyr Petrov (Ukraine) Attendance: 38,080 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Jo Bonfrere (Nigeria) Match Report 1 - Match Report 2 - Match Report 3 - Match Report 4 - Match Report 5 - Match Report 6
Played: Tuesday September 19 2000				Venue: Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney
Australia Danny Milosevic, Simon Colosimo (Marco Bresciano 46), Stan Lazaridis, Hayden Foxe, Josip Skoko, Stephen Laybutt, Lucas Neill, Mark Viduka, Kasey Wehrman (Clayton Zane 79), Vince Grella (Jason Culina 30), Michael Curcija. Cautions: Culina 89, Zane 90+3 Goal: Rosales 51 Own Goal	1	-	2	Honduras Noel Valladaras, Ivan Guerrero, Elmer Montoya, Walter Lopez (Junior Izaguirre 46), Jaime Rosales, Julio Cesar De Leon (Julio Cesar Suazo 90+1), Maynor Suazo, Danilo Turcios, Mario Chirinos, Carlos Paes De Oliveira (Francisco Pavon 77), David Suazo. Cautions: Chirinos 6, Montoya 83, Rosales 90+3 Goals: Suazo 3, 60
Referee: Mourad Deami (Tunisia) Assistant Referees: Volodymyr Petrov (Ukraine) & Jorge Rattalino (Argentina) Attendance: 37,788 Coaches: Raul Blanco (Australia), Ramon Maradiaga (Honduras) Match Report

Last updated: 20 January 2021