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Newcastle United signing Garang Kuol scores this stunner for Aussie young stars

1 year ago
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The last couple of weeks of September were on another level for Garang Kuol.

Turning 18 on 15 September, the teenage striker went on to train with the national squad and then made his international debut, coming on as a sub when Australia won away against New Zealand.

No sooner had the final whistle gone and he was flying to the UK, landing on Tyneside and taking his medical, before signing for Newcastle United.

Rather than instantly flying back home, Garang Kuol instead experienced his very first Newcastle United match, in the away end as NUFC hammered Fulham 4-1.

Then it WAS back on a plane to fly back down under, with the teenager training with Central Coast Mariners ahead of their opening match of the season. The A-League kicking off their season this weekend and Garang Kuol staying with them to hopefully get more valuable first team experience before he is formally registered as a Newcastle player when the January window opens.

However, the opening game of the season saw the Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets match called off due to torrential rain last Saturday (8 October).

There were only six scheduled Central Coast Mariners matches in the A-League, before it breaks for the World Cup in Qatar.

That called off match today compounded the problem further for Garang Kuol when it comes to playing as much first team football as possible.

The teenager’s chances of making the Australia World Cup squad, having also taken a major blow potentially, by him getting called up for the Australia Under 20s, rather than allowing him to get first team club football in the coming weeks.

Garang Kuol heading off to play qualifiers in Kuwait for the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup, against Iraq, India and Kuwait between 14-18 October.

That means Kuol definitely misses the second A-League game of the season against Wellington Phoenix and with the travelling involved and lack of preparation time,  looks all but certain to miss the following match against Perth Glory on 23 October.

This means that it looks at the most, Garang Kuol will have a maximum of three A-League matches before the break for the World Cup happens on 13 November.

Meanwhile, out in Kuwait, Garang Kuol and the Aussie Under 20s played on Friday (14 October), hammering the Kuwait Under 20s 4-1, the Newcastle United teenager starting up front but not amongst the goals.

However, that all changed on Sunday (16 October), when Garang Kuol once again started, this time against India Under 20s.

Only 11 minutes into the match he produced this stunning finish…

Tuesday (18 October UK time, early hours of 19 October in Australia)) sees Garang Kuol and his Aussie Under 20s teammates take on Iraq Under 20s before flying home and hopefully getting some first team action for Central Coast Mariners ahead of the World Cup and the eventual official registering of his move to Newcastle United.

Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery not happy with the decision at all and questioning Australia national side boss Graham Arnold:

“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 (Garang Kuol going to play for the Australia Under 20s) really hard to understand.

“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 Under 20s?

“We have 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 (Garang Kuol) has played 17 minutes in the last four weeks when we have played four trial games.

“To take him out, obviously, it’s hard for us.

“It is hard for the Australian public who want to see him in the A-League.”

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