The Socceroos' Asian Cup hopes now hinge on their final group match after they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Kuwait in their qualifier at the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium this morning.
The makeshift Australian team stunned the home side to go 2-0 up in their Group B clash after just five minutes of a pulsating clash.
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Goals in quick succession to Luke Wilkshire and Dean Heffernan gave the Socceroos the perfect start after dire defending from the Kuwaitis.
The Socceroos controlled the first 30 minutes, but Kuwait levelled things up with their own burst of two goals in four minutes approaching halftime.
Substitute Hamed Al Enezi swooped to hammer home in the 40th minute after an error from Australian central defender Simon Colosimo.
Then striker Yousef Nasser sent the home crowd into raptures with a wonderful finish a minute before halftime after Kuwait striker Bader Al Mutwa pierced Australia's defence with a perfect through ball.
Kuwait stepped on the pedal early in the second half and had two good chances to win the match through Al Enezi.
First the substitute shot just wide on 57 minutes, before goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic was forced to make a sharp save to deny him again with nine minutes left.
But Australia bravely held firm with their goal under late siege to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for next year's Asian Cup finals in Qatar.
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek was content with the result and his hybrid A-League/European-based team's overall performance.
"I think we did very well for the first 35 minutes, but the last 10 minutes of the first half we give two goals away," Verbeek told Fox Sports.
"The last minutes of the first half we lost control of the midfield, but the second half we were much better organised.
"A little bit more sharpness in one-on-one situations and we could have won the game."
The Socceroos are locked on eight points with Kuwait at the top of Group B but trail on goal difference.
But Oman are now just a point behind after they beat Indonesia 2-1 in Jakarta in Wednesday's other qualifier.
Australia will secure passage to the Asian Cup finals with at least a draw against Indonesia in Brisbane on March 3, while Oman host Kuwait on the same day.
