Gombau worked with Postecoglou, Ante Milicic and the rest of the national team coaching staff until a fortnight ago, in his position as an assistant to Postecoglou and boss of the Olyroos.

He took the vacant coaching job at Western Sydney following Tony Popovic's shock pre-season departure, coaching his first Wanderers match on Sunday evening at AAMI Park against Melbourne City.

But his heart remains very much with Australia, and he will be cheering the Socceroos on in the stands in Sydney when they seek to beat Honduras to ensure their place at the World Cup.

Despite the publicity surrounding Postecoglou's future and the doubts that swirl as to whether he will stay should Australia qualify, Gombau is optimistic the man who won the Asian Cup will still be in the hot seat next year.

"I want to see us qualifying for the World Cup and Ange sitting on the bench," he said after the Wanderers' 1-1 draw with City.

"It's a big game. It is very important to Australian football to go to the World Cup, it is something very big.

"I am so confident, I think will achieve it. The boys are working very well. I was working with them 10 days ago and I know that what is going in is very good. The game in Honduras was very good and I have the feeling we will win and be in the next World Cup."

He said that quitting the national team set-up had been a difficult choice, but it was the lure of a club, particularly a team with the potential of the Wanderers, that tipped the balance.

"It wasn't an easy decision, I was so happy there, also the World Cup qualifiers were just around the corner 10 days later," Gombau said.

"But my feeling was that I want to coach day by day, I needed to go to Wanderers, I wanted to be back in the A-League. It was the right club at the right moment in the city I was living in.

"I will be there [for the Socceroos on Wednesday night] and I will be one more fan, I love everything to go well."

Gombau was reasonably pleased with his team's efforts at AAMI Park. They took an early lead, then weathered City's attacks after Ross McCormack's penalty equaliser to come home with a point.

"I am happy with the performance today and the work the boys put on the park. I think with three training sessions we had, we tried to play a little bit the way we want to play.

"For me a draw was a fair result."

The game was held up for several minutes as match officials checked with the video assistants before awarding City the spot kick from which McCormack equalised. Again, Gombau accepted the way things worked.

"I never will complain about the penalty and the rules, it's part of the game, now the rules are this. Before, in my opinion the football was more real, now we stop the game, but it is what it is."

He also laughed off any suggestion of a rift with his Spanish forward Oriol Riera, who looked decidedly unimpressed after being replaced.

"He said he had not had any crosses and he could not score goals. It is a part of the game, when a player is upset because he is subbed it is a good thing.

"It was his opinion but I am happy with the performance of my team."