Perth Glory striker Nathanael Blair scored four goals to lead the CommBank Australia Under-23s to a 14-0 win over Northern Mariana Islands in 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifying.
The Olyroos were far too strong for their opponents in China, where 21-year-old Glory frontman Blair fuelled the rout with a 41-minute hat-trick and four goals in the space of 43 minutes on Wednesday.
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Isuzu UTE A-League talent were front and centre in the comprehensive triumph as Australia eye Asian Cup qualification. The Aussies must finish as one of 11 group winners or one the four best second-placed teams in their four-nation group to advance to the tournament set to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2026.
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Adelaide United sensation Ethan Alagich and Reds teammate Yaya Dukuly added braces, while Melbourne Victory pair Joshua Rawlins and Jing Reec also scored twice.
Western Sydney Wanderers’ Aydan Hammond and Rhys Bozinovski, who was at Western United last season, were among the goalscorers.
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Blair will be hoping for more senior football in 2025-26 after swapping the Wanderers for Perth at the start of last season. He was limited to just 288 Isuzu UTE A-League minutes during his debut campaign with Glory.
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Meanwhile, there will be plenty of eyes on Adelaide star Alagich this season.
The 21-year-old midfielder continued his family legacy by being crowned the 2025 Aurelio Vidmar Medallist following a breakout season at Coopers Stadium.
Adelaide’s famed pathway has seen the likes of Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure, Musa Toure, Giuseppe Bovalina and Archie Goodwin moved abroad. Alagich could be the next Reds talent to earn a switch abroad if he maintains his current trajectory.
“From what I have seen, Ethan Alagich is a remarkable talent with a bright future ahead of him,” said Adelaide’s head of football Marius Zanin at the time of his re-signing in August last year.
Next up for Australia is a fixture against Timor-Leste on Saturday.
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