Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery fears Garang Kuol’s chances of playing for the Socceroos at the World Cup could be damaged by a call-up to Australia’s under-20s team, which is set to cut into the little time the English Premier League-bound teenager has left in the A-League.
Kuol has just returned from his whirlwind trip to England to confirm his signing for Newcastle United, which will take effect when the transfer window opens again on January 1.
Garang Kuol is aiming for a World Cup berth, but Young Socceroos duty could get in the way.Credit:Getty
Until then, the 18-year-old remains contracted to the Mariners, but the number of opportunities for fans to watch him before he departs for Europe are quickly diminishing.
Saturday’s season-opening F3 derby against the Newcastle Jets is the first of six games the Mariners will play before the A-League Men breaks for the World Cup in Qatar.
But Kuol will now miss the Mariners’ round-two clash with Wellington Phoenix – and could be at long odds to feature in their following match against Perth Glory due to travel demands – after he was selected for the Young Socceroos, who will play three crucial qualifiers abroad for the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup against Iraq, India and Kuwait between October 14-18.
The matches were originally scheduled to be held in Iraq last month, but Football Australia pulled out for security reasons, prompting the Asian Football Confederation to postpone and move the fixtures to a safer location in Kuwait.
Montgomery said Kuol received word of his under-20s call-up via email two days after his blistering debut for the Socceroos in Auckland, which many thought was proof enough that the talented winger should be going to the World Cup as an impact player off the bench.
“Graham Arnold has publicly said that he wants to see players playing in the A-League, to give them the opportunity to go to the World Cup. I find it really hard to understand,” Montgomery said.
“For the kid, for his mentality, to make his debut for the Socceroos and then two days later, finds out he’s playing in the 20s … we’ve had a three-month pre-season, and now we’re losing starting players in the A-League to go and play in an Asian Cup qualifier. He’s played 17 minutes in the last four weeks when we’ve played four trial games.
“To take him out, obviously, it’s hard for us, it’s hard for the Australian public who want to see him and the A-League.”
Montgomery said the Mariners had protested Kuol’s selection to Football Australia, on the basis it would disrupt his momentum as he bids to become an A-League starter and mount an even stronger case for World Cup selection, to no avail.
“The answer we got back was the coaches have chosen the players, and that’s the way it is,” he said.
“Taking them out of playing in the A-League competition, against men, is detrimental to their development. People might disagree with that, but that’s my opinion.
“You have to look at the realities. He’s going to do a lot of travel around the world. He’s going to get back possibly for round three, no doubt jet-lagged after the last couple of weeks.
“Fair play to Graham Arnold, he gave a lot of boys the opportunity. But the only way they’re going to get in [to the World Cup squad] is playing first-team football and performing. That’s good pressure to put on the players, but if they’re not there, they can’t play.”
ROUND ONE A-LEAGUE MEN FIXTURES
Friday October 7
Melbourne City vs Western United at AAMI Park (7.45pm)
Saturday October 8
Brisbane Roar vs Macarthur at Suncorp Stadium (5pm)
Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets at Central Coast Stadium (5pm)
Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium (7.45pm)
Sunday October 9
Wellington Phoenix vs Adelaide United at Sky Stadium (1pm)
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Perth Glory at CommBank Stadium (3pm)
*all times AEDT
