Hiddink almost certain to be new Australia coach
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-20 09:12

O'Neill said the organisation had been surprised at the amount of interest in the position.

Former Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat was also reported to have been in the running for the job before he signed a one-year contract to coach the United Arab Emirates.

"We were amazed once the position became vacant just how many expressions of interest we did receive ... we probably would have received 70 or 80 all together," said O'Neill.

"But clearly we were after someone who had been there and done it."

Australia on Monday cancelled next month's friendly with Colombia in London because the short-listed candidates for the job had preferred that a training camp be held instead.

Australia's next matches are the 2006 World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands in September.

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