SYDNEY, November 17 - (AP)Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich said he was looking forward to the "adventure" of playing in front of a fanatical Tehran crowd when Iran hosts his team in the final World Cup qualifying game Saturday. Only one of the 32 places for the finals in France next year remains to be decided with

Iran and Australia playing home and away over the next two weeks. Japan's extra-time goal secured a 3-2 win over Iran in the Asian zone playoff Sunday and resigned Australia to what officials believe is a tougher draw. Australian players, fans and officials remain supremely confident that their side can advance to the finals but were hoping to play Japan in the deciding tie. The pressure of playing in the hostile Azadi Stadium, where 120,000 fans watched Iran's recent match against Kuwait, and a lack of familiarity with the Iranian team made Japan the preferred choice. Bosnich, who plays with Aston Villa in England's Premier League, said he was looking forward to the experience of playing Tehran. "I've always had a sense of adventure and I like to take in the different cultures around the world," Bosnich said in a column he wrote for The Australian newspaper Monday.

"To be honest, the thought of playing against Iran in front of 100,000 fanatics in Tehran doesn't faze me." Australia has not played Iran as frequently as Japan but there is some history between the two. Australia, boosted by players such as Leeds United's in-form teen-ager Harry Kewell, Lazio sweeper Paul Okon and Croatia Zagreb striker Mark Viduka, is bidding to qualify for the finals for only the second time. The 1974 team made the finals after overcoming Iran, beating it 3-0 at home and then losing 2-0 in Tehran under enormous pressure. Ray Richards, a midfielder with the 1974 team, said the Terry Venables-coached 1997 side would receive a harrowing reception. "The supporters there are fanatical. It's extreme circumstances you travel there under," Richards said Monday. "Everything is against you. The accommodation is against you, the food is against you, the people are against you and it's very hard to get that psychological buildup for that one game when you've got everything against you." Australia's team, which has won all 12 games under former England boss Venables, including away victories against Hungary and Cup-qualified Tunisia, is eager to emulate the feats of 1974.

"I've read and heard the stories of the 1974 Socceroos qualifying campaign, which took in two matches against the Iranians, and it must have been an amazing, and at times, frightening experience," Bosnich said. "The bottom line is it doesn't matter who you play or where you play them, we are playing for the ultimate prize, a place in the World Cup." While Venables has successfully woven together players from Australia's national league and several of the major European competitions, Iran's campaign has been in constant turmoil. After a strong start the Iranians faded and coach Mohammed Mayelikohan was dumped November 8 following a 2-0 loss to Qatar which forced the team into the Asian playoff. He was replaced by Valdir Veira of Brazil.

Australia's home-based players left for the team's Dubai training camp Monday, playing down security fears raised because of the trouble in Iraq, a neighbor of Iran. "Tensions are at serious levels in the Gulf area and we have been told a possible outbreak of fighting could occur in the future," Soccer Australia chairman David Hill said Monday. "FIFA deals with these situations on a regular basis and the match will not proceed if there is any danger involved."