PERTH, Australia -- Socceroos forward Brandon Borrello says there is "no chance" Australia will let their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification dream slip away in Saudi Arabia next week, after coming agonisingly close to sealing it in Perth.
Australia's dramatic 1-0 win over Japan, followed by Saudi Arabia's 2-0 victory against Bahrain, means Tony Popovic's side head into their final Group C qualifier against the Green Falcons in Jeddah on Wednesday morning (AEST) with a clear picture of their task: avoid defeat by five goals or more and they will be at the 2026 tournament.
While Australian fans are still celebrating one of the most famous wins on home soil in recent memory -- which all but sealed qualification -- Borrello said it was already "business as usual" inside the camp, who flew out to Jeddah last night.
"We have to approach this next game the same way. The boss speaks about elite standards -- same in, same out. Nobody drops" Borrello said.
"We haven't achieved anything yet. The prize is obviously qualifying for the World Cup."
Borrello, who is starting to establish himself as Popovic's preferred striker, admitted it was "frustrating" that Bahrain couldn't take points off Saudi Arabia, which would have turned the Jeddah clash into a dead rubber.
Instead, the Socceroos now face one last high-pressure test -- in front of a hostile Saudi crowd in sweltering conditions. Borrello, however, dismissed any suggestion the team could capitulate against their opponents, who have scored only six times in this qualification phase.
"I really don't want to speak about going over there and losing -- that's not the language we want to use. We want to go over there and win," he said.
"It feels embarrassing to say, 'Saudi need to beat us 5-0.' That's not going to happen. It's the mentality of: 'we're winning, we're qualifying for the World Cup, and we're going to celebrate together.' It's going to be great for the country."
Saudi's near-impossible task is made even tougher by the strong form of a Socceroos side that is unbeaten in all seven games since Popovic came on as head coach, with Australia looking increasingly resolute with each game.
Borrello said Thursday's win, in which the Socceroos were forced to withstand relentless Japanese pressure, was another step in building the team's winning mentality.
"The way we played was a reflection of that true-blue Australian grit," Borrello said.
"When everyone digs in, it feeds into the culture we're building. Teams are going to find it hard to beat us."