There is still some hope, however faint, that the Socceroos qualify directly. They still have to play Japan at home (in Sydney on March 24) and Saudi Arabia away (five days later).

They will have to win both those matches to stand any realistic hopes of going through directly, and rely on either the Saudis or the Japanese slipping up in their other games.

Japan are at home to Vietnam in their last match, while the Saudis are away to China in their penultimate game.

Even if Australia did win both their remaining group games it is highly likely that Japan would see off Vietnam, probably by a comfortable margin.

The Socceroos will be hoping that a desperately underperforming China, who now cannot progress any further, somehow find a way to beat the Saudis on the same night that Australia play Japan.

The most likely outcome on current form is that Japan and Saudi Arabia will do enough in their final two games to ensure their direct qualification.

What happens if the Socceroos finish third?

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Australia would go into the Asian play-off against the third-placed team from group A. This is the route they had to follow to get to the last World Cup, when they defeated Syria narrowly over two legs.

At present the UAE are third in their group and should finish there, although Iraq and Lebanon are outside chances of taking the position off them.

This time it would be a one-off match in a neutral venue.

And if they win the play-off?

Well, this is where the old nemesis Uruguay comes in - plus any other number of potential South American opponents.

The top four nations in South America qualify directly: Brazil and Argentina are already there, while Ecuador and Uruguay currently sit third and fourth. But Peru, Chile and Colombia are also in the mix to finish fourth or fifth, so Uruguay could slip into that spot.

Whoever finishes in fifth place will play the winner of the Asian play-off.

Unlike that nerve-shattering tie in 2005, when Australia had to play Uruguay in Montevideo and then Sydney, this would be a one-off game in a neutral venue – Qatar, in mid-June.