EXCLUSIVE: Mark Schwarzer says he's gutted at missing Sunday’s final qualifier against China and still can’t get over the bizarre booking that triggered his ban.

Speaking exclusively to au.fourfourtwo.com at Sydney Airport today, the Socceroos goalkeeper said missing the final group match was a real blow and not a convenient excuse for a well-earned rest.

The Fulham custodian was yellow carded in the late stages of the win over Qatar as he removed some rubbish from the pitch. It was his second caution of the campaign and automatically triggered a one-game ban.

He said: “That was a strange one. I’d asked the referee if I could remove a plastic bag from the field.

"He allowed me to do so and then when I came back and put the ball back on the spot he decided to give me a yellow card. I don’t know, as I said, a strange one.”

It means the keeper will have to wait until qualifying resumes later this year for his next competitive international and he’s far from happy.

He said: “I’m very disappointed because I really wanted to play against China on Sunday.

"Playing here in Australia, in Sydney in particular, is always a massive thrill for me. I’d much rather be in camp ahead of the match but it’s not to be.”

Schwarzer said the squad had been delighted to banish the sour taste of the Iraq defeat so quickly with the Qatar win.

He said: “We were all bitterly disappointed after the Iraq match as we felt we should never have lost.

"There was some criticism (of Verbeek’s tactics) and I think the criticism was a bit harsh considering how well we’d played up until that point and the results we’d achieved over that period of time were very good.

“I think it probably helped that we were so far away, we could close ranks, focus on the job in hand and the result against Qatar showed how much work we’d put in and how well it came together on the day.

“People are always going to have their opinions but it’s job done and we’re through to the next round of qualifying. That’s what it’s all about.”

Schwarzer also assured fans that he would have been fit to play against China, despite needing treatment during the Qatar match.

He said: “It’s just a slight niggle but nothing to worry about.”