In the blistering heat of Qatar, Vanuatu will kick off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign this week and have a former A-League Men's player up their sleeve.
For Mitch Cooper, the pressure is something he's no stranger to having made headlines in 2012 when he was named captain of Gold Coast United on his senior professional debut as a 17-year-old.
In the years since that unforgettable day, Cooper has established himself at National Premier League level and currently lines up for Victorian side Hume City.
The midfielder made his international debut for Vanuatu in 2019 and has gone on to play six times since with an impressive five goals to his name.
After an international hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanuatu will start chasing an unlikely World Cup spot this month as they battle it out in Oceania qualifiers.
Team Vanuatu off to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️ Oceania Qualifiers. They travel through Brisbane to Doha. pic.twitter.com/ZUjak2nQ9G
— Vanuatu Football (@VFF_Football) March 10, 2022
Cooper, who has previously captained the side, will be key to their hopes of making a solid run with group games against Tahiti, Solomon Islands and Cook Islands to come in quick succession.
The top two teams from the group will progress to the semi-finals where they'll likely face Fiji or New Zealand.
The winner of the final itself will then still need to beat a CONCACAF nation in an inter-confederation play-off to seal their place in Qatar.
While Cooper and Vanuatu may struggle to make it that far, these games are an opportunity both player and nation are grateful for.
"It's been an unbelievable experience so far. It's just getting to that point where we're kind of itching to play that first game," Cooper told The Sporting News from Vanuatu's camp in Doha.
"I think technically it's playing a World Cup - it's pretty wild.
"We've got a good group which gives us a good chance to try and push as far as we can, but saying that our focus is just on the first game against Tahiti. It's one game at a time.
"When I saw the draw come out last year while we were locked down in a pandemic, these games were something I was looking forward to. I’ve been mentally preparing for this game, for this moment.
"It means everything to me to pull on this shirt and represent my country.
"We’ve just got to keep pushing the barriers, especially in the Oceania ranks so that one day we have a really good shot of making the World Cup finals."
Vanuatu are currently ranked 164th in the FIFA world rankings and go into these qualifiers with a new-look squad.
Despite a recent 3-0 friendly loss to Fiji, Cooper is confident the players can click quickly ahead of their first game on March 18 (AEDT).
"It's a completely different squad. I've had to familiarise myself with the other boys but we've done a lot of team bonding together since arriving in Qatar," Cooper said.
"I think the only thing that can bring us closer together is playing this first game against Tahiti, pulling off a result and going from there with some confidence."
While quick not to get ahead of himself, Cooper believes his team are capable of surprising a few over the next fortnight as they eye a strong qualifying run.
"Look, I want to make the final. The group, the players we have, it’s given us a great opportunity to push forward," he said.
"At the same time you can’t look too far forward but the expectation is certainly there.
"I feel like we can certainly have a crack at the final, so that’s the goal, but it starts with Tahiti and no team is going to be easy.
"I’ve got high hopes and expectations for us to go beyond the group stage level and anything can happen from there."
