SYDNEY, March 28 ― Australia coach Ange Postecoglou today (March 28) has dismissed revenge as a motivation for the Asian champions in tomorrow’s (March 29) crunch World Cup qualifier against Harry Redknapp’s Jordan.

After thrashing Tajikistan 7-0 on Thursday (March 24), the Socceroos need only a draw from their final Group B fixture to progress to the third stage of Asian qualifying, from which four countries will secure tickets to Russia in 2018.

The Jordanians, who trail Australia by two points, inflicted the only defeat of the campaign so far on Australia with a 2-0 win in Amman last October.

Postecoglou has previously said that avenging that defeat would be a spur at the Sydney Football Stadium, but the grumpy Australia coach performed an about-turn today.

“If we win tomorrow night it’s not going to erase what happened in Jordan, that’s not the way football works,” he told reporters at the team hotel.

“Revenge is best left to the movies, mate, this is real life. We just want to go out there tomorrow night, and as I said, progress our football and finish this group off strongly.

“I think we’ve got stronger as the qualification process has developed and we want to finish it off tomorrow night.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry Redknapp’s cameo appearance for tomorrow’s match has added an interesting twist to the clash but Postecoglou did not think it would make much difference.

“You know, he’s a very experienced manager and he’ll know how much influence he can have in a few days and I don’t expect to see much different from what we’ve seen in the past,” he said.

Redknapp’s opportunity to coach at an international level has not come the way he once hoped it might, but the Englishman is having a ball and open to extending his spell with Jordan beyond tomorrow’s crunch World Cup qualifier with Australia.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager was overwhelming favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager in 2012, only to be ultimately overlooked in favour of Roy Hodgson.

Tomorrow, though, he will conclude a two-match cameo as an international coach when he leads Jordan out to face Australia in a match they must win to be certain to progressing to the next round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

Redknapp said that while he was also committed to his post as an advisor to Derby County until the end of the English season, he would consider extending the role if asked.

“I’ve really enjoyed it, I can’t tell you how much I’ve, the people have just been fantastic,” Redknapp told reporters today.

“My stay in Jordan and all the staff and everybody, they’re the friendliest people I’ve dealt with, it’s been a great experience for me, it really has.

“So if there was something in the future, I would look at it, for sure.”

The qualifying match between Australia and Jordan will take place tomorrow (March 29) at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium. ― Reuters