Former Australian national team players Aurelio Vidmar and Paul Okon have been named the coaches of two national youth teams head of major tournaments in the coming years.
Former Standard Liege and Feyenoord forward and Adelaide United head coach Vidmar has taken the reins of the Australian U22 team leading up to the inaugural Asian Football Confderation U22 Championships which has a qualifying tournament to be played in late June 2012 and finals to be held in January 2014.
In addition, Vidmar will also oversee the second edition of the new tournament which will constitute the qualification process for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Vidmar will continue in his role as Socceroos assistant coach.
Meanwhile, ex-Fiorentina, Middlesbrough and Leeds United midfielder Okon has been appointed as the Head Coach of the Qantas Young Socceroos (Australian U-20 Men's National Team).
This team will compete in the AFC U19 Championships in the UAE in November this year, which will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup which will be held in Turkey in June/July 2013.
