Newcastle United star Garang Kuol may get the chance to show the world what he can do on Tuesday as Australia get their World Cup campaign under way against holders France. The 18-year-old Magpies star earned a surprise call-up to the Socceroos squad earlier this month, despite not starting a single competitive game for A-League side Central Coast Mariners.
Newcastle snapped up the teen sensation before the world got to fully appreciate his talent and will be hopeful he gets minutes on the international stage before he joins the club in January. However, Kuol's story may have been very different had it not been for a small football club based in Shepparton, Victoria, who gave the young attacker and his family a chance after arriving in Australia as refugees.
Kuol's family moved from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to Egypt when his older brother Alou was just three-years-old, a year before Garang was born in 2004. His father Mawien and mother Antonita worked as dry cleaners, while Antonita also had a job at a fruit factory.
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Both Alou, now at Bundesliga side Stuttgart, and Garang played their youth football at Goulburn Valley Suns, before moving on to Central Coast Mariners after impressing at young ages. However, playing football in Australia as a youngster is an expensive hobby and can often see talented kids miss out on opportunities due to being unable to afford the costs.
Former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is one of many former Aussie pros who have spoken publicly about this in the past. “The fact it costs so much is ridiculous,” he told Optus Sport’s State of Football back in 2020.
Kuol's tough upbringing may have counted against him at a different Australian club but Goulburn Valley Suns refused to turn away such talented youngsters despite their inability to meet such costs. The club, only established in 2013, allowed both Garang and Kuol to play, with the family in turn using their dry cleaning business to wash the players' kits after training and matches, ensuring they were still paying their way in any way they could.
Craig Carley, a coach at the club, admits it would have been a terrible shame to see the Kuol brothers miss out on a career in football due to their background, as he tips Newcastle's new signing to have a huge career in Europe.
"Such a beautiful, beautiful kid and such a beautiful family. It's a wonderful story for them coming from a refugee background too," Carley told Chronicle Live. "This is a kid we probably could have lost to the game due to fees and what it costs to play football in this area of Australia.
"We are a club that doesn't discriminate and even if you can't afford the fees to pay, we'll find a way. The Kuol's way of paying was by washing the kits. That was their way of fitting into our football community.
"If he was playing for another club, they probably would have shown him the door for not being able to pay the fees. But we would never, ever do that to any kid. Just a beautiful story and such a beautiful family."
Kuol is still yet to start a competitive game but is being tipped to have a standout tournament in Qatar, subsequently catching the eye of the footballing world. Carley, who has seen first-hand how devastating the attacker can be, is expecting a bold showing from the 18-year-old this winter.
"He's been coming on and producing bits of magic for Central Coast, scoring and setting up goals and he's exciting!" Carley continued. "That's what you want to see as a coach - you want to see authentic performances and he plays with absolutely no fear. It's an absolute pleasure to watch.
"We produce far too many robots these days, or players that are all so similar. Garang is outside that box. He will go on to adapt to any environment he is put in. He plays with a smile on his face and absolute freedom.
"I've got no doubt he's going to produce a moment of magic at the World Cup and the whole world is going to take notice of him. I've had the pleasure of seeing him over the years and now all of Australia has seen him. He's suited to the world stage because he's such an exciting talent."
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