If you’re good enough, you’re old enough – and in the eyes of his Socceroos teammates, Garang Kuol’s exploits in the A-League have proved he is more than ready to be the wildcard they will need to shock the world in Qatar.
Hours before he jetted out to link up with Australia’s World Cup squad, the teenage wunderkind was at it again, helping the Central Coast Mariners come from 2-0 down to level the scores against Macarthur FC with a brace of goals: one from a penalty he earned, the other from a ridiculously acute angle from which only a select few players would even bother pulling the trigger.
But Kuol is not just another player. The precocious 18-year-old is the most talented prospect to emerge from Australia during the A-League era, and the stage is set for him to became a household name internationally over the next few weeks.
While the 10-man Mariners ultimately lost Sunday’s game, they were only in with a whiff of victory because of Kuol. His career statistics to this point tell the tale: in just 327 minutes, across 13 games, Kuol has scored six goals and provided three assists, which means he is directly involved in a goal every 36 minutes. That’s better than Erling Haaland’s production levels in the English Premier League this season.
But those numbers don’t explain the more intangible aspects of his impact, and how his sheer presence can scare defenders into mistakes and lift the spirit of his teammates, who know something is bound to happen if he is near the ball.
“He’s that X-factor, he’s an excitement machine,” said Mitchell Duke, the former Mariners striker who still keeps a close eye on his old club’s games from Japan, and has been in awe at the way Kuol has rocketed himself into the Socceroos’ World Cup squad.
“To see some of the stuff he’s doing at the moment at such a young age, consistently … I know he’s not started a game, but he’s consistently doing his performances off the bench,” he said.
“And that’s all you can ask of him when he plays: he does a job. So for us, against the teams that we’re playing against, to have that X-factor, I think is a huge plus for us. He can definitely flip the game on its head.
“You see some of the Mariners games where they’re 2-0 down, he’s coming on equalising the game with two goals or two assists, or he’s creating something, and that’s going to be massive for us, especially in such a big tournament.”
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Kuol is his unflappability. Not once has he seemed overwhelmed during his meteoric rise, or fallen victim to the pitfalls that present themselves when a young athlete becomes so famous, so quickly.
Garang Kuol was again the centre of attention in the final A-League Men’s game played before the World Cup break.Credit:Getty
Not when he faced off against Barcelona for the A-Leagues All Stars and tore them to shreds, not when Premier League club Newcastle United came calling for him with a big-money contract, and not even when Graham Arnold handed him his Australia debut two months ago. To nobody’s shock, within minutes of coming on, he crafted a goalscoring opportunity out of nothing.
“He’s just a wonderful kid, full of confidence,” said defender Thomas Deng, one of three Sudanese-Australians in the Socceroos squad along with Kuol and Awer Mabil.
“He’s come in here and everyone loves him. Everyone gets along with him.
“Me and Awer, we’ve just tried to look after him and make his transition a lot easier.
“I’m just so happy that he’s got this opportunity to experience a World Cup at 18 years old. It’s definitely going to better his career. I think he has a really bright future.”
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