"But for Emiliano Martinez's outstretched arms, eh? A golden chance, deep in injury-time, for Australia's wonder kid to become their golden boy, to push Argentina into an extra 30 minutes in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup. Liked what you saw there? You just wait til 2026, the Guardian wrote of Garang Kuol 1,104 days ago. He had, aged 18 years and 79 days, become the youngest player to appear in the knock-out stages since Pele in 1958."
"Here, on the eve of 2026, what of Kuol? Life has few guarantees, football fewer still, and with the next World Cup just half a turn away, Kuol is not where he might have expected, or at least wanted, to be. Currently, he lives in the Czech Republic playing for storied European side Sparta Prague. Patience has been required, with just 203 first team minutes to date spread across eight appearances. But perseverance is not a new concept to Kuol, still just 21."
"Born in Egypt, his family, having fled from South Sudan, moved to Sydney, then Shepparton in Victoria. He and brothers Alou and Teng joined Goulburn Valley Suns, with his mum, Antonietta, washing the team's kit. His dad, Mawien, would milk cows before his regular job to ensure his boys had all they needed. Kuol was raw, too raw for professional clubs."
Garang Kuol nearly changed a last-16 World Cup result with a stoppage-time chance that was saved by Emiliano Martinez. He became the youngest player to appear in a World Cup knock-out stage since Pele at 18 years and 79 days. Kuol currently plays for Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic but has accumulated only 203 first-team minutes across eight appearances, requiring patience. His family fled South Sudan to Egypt and then settled in Victoria; he and his brothers played for Goulburn Valley Suns while his mother washed kits and his father worked extra shifts. Kuol progressed from raw talent to a professional debut in May 2022 and earned an international cap by September before signing for Newcastle.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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