Melbourne Victory attacking midfielder James Troisi came off the bench in Australia’s 1-1 draw with Iraq in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Thursday.
Troisi, making his first appearance for the national team since November 2015, replaced Jackson Irvine in the 82nd minute as Australia searched for a late winner.
On a cold, wet day in neutral Tehran, the Caltex Socceroos opened the scoring through Mathew Leckie just before the break.
Iraq equalised through Ahmad Yaseem in the 76th minute, setting up a grandstand finish as both sides pushed for the three points but had to settle for a draw.
The Caltex Socceroos will return to Australia for Tuesday night’s clash with the UAE at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.