Socceroo Degenek says pressure on Turkey, not us

Turkey have been regular participants in the European Championship, yet they have only appeared at the World Cup on two occasions. They first qualified in 1954, and in their second tournament in 2002 they achieved a third-place finish.

In contrast, Australia have competed in each of the last five World Cups, reaching the round of 16 on two occasions.

Speaking to journalists before Saturday's fixture in Vancouver, Degenek said: "I believe Turkey also face considerable pressure, as they have not taken part in a major World Cup tournament since 2002."

"There is great expectation on them and significant pressure, but we are certainly ready for that."

Degenek, who was part of Australia's squad for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, stated that their World Cup experience could be key.

The 32-year-old added: "As I understand it, there are 26 players in the Turkish squad who have never experienced a World Cup."

"We, on the other hand, have around nine players in our squad who have World Cup experience. So we have a slight edge in that respect...

"Clearly, they have experienced footballers who compete at the highest level with the world's best clubs... However, I would argue that we have a little more experience when it comes to international tournament football."