The teenage Socceroos hopeful in hot demand after Barcelona blitz

Garang Kuol showed why he is one of the most exciting Australian players of his generation with a scintillating cameo against Barcelona which earned him rich praise from coaches Xavi and Dwight Yorke – and the shirt of star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Clubs in Germany and the Netherlands were, according to sources close to the player, already tracking the 17-year-old’s progress closely after his emergence for the Central Coast Mariners this season, having scored five eye-catching goals off the bench in just 229 minutes of senior football in all competitions.

But there could soon be a bidding war for his services after Kuol did his transfer prospects no harm at Accor Stadium in Wednesday night’s friendly, enthralling a crowd of more than 70,000 with two brilliant runs that carved through Barcelona’s defence and should have both ended in goals for the A-League All Stars.

They ultimately fell 3-2 to the visiting La Liga outfit but it was Kuol’s name on everyone’s lips after the full-time whistle – including Xavi, Barcelona’s manager, who described his performance as “unbelievable” and admitted he didn’t initially believe Yorke, the All Stars coach, when he told him at half-time he was about to inject a teenager with serious potential into the match.

“He was very fast, he created many chances,” Xavi said. “We conceded two or three chances because of him. So, great player, yes, and great future. He’s a talent, it’s obvious. But let’s see, now, the future. It depends on him.”

A scholarship player with the Mariners who is still juggling high school commitments, Kuol is unfazed by his growing reputation. Like his older brother Alou, 20, who also broke through in the A-League with the Mariners before transferring to German club VfB Stuttgart last season, he seems to have the mentality to match his physical and technical prowess.

Garang Kuol holds off Barcelona’s Adama Traore on Wednesday night.Credit:Getty

Asked whose shirt he had managed to secure after the match, Kuol said “Aubame-bloodclaat-yang” – a nickname bestowed upon the 32-year-old Gabonese striker by Arsenal Fan TV when he joined the English club in 2018.

“It was a great experience to play against some of these top players around the world,” Kuol said. “Hopefully, I can be up there one day. I play with a lot of freedom, I don’t think about it too much – I just try to make an effect.”

Garang Kuol competes with Samuel Umtiti for an aerial ball.Credit:Getty

Told of Xavi’s compliments, Kuol said: “That’s just a honour, isn’t it? To have a [former] player like Xavi talking about me. I was watching him back then, he was dominating with [World Cup-winning former Barca superstar Andres] Iniesta. But yeah, I swapped shirts with Aubameyang. Life goes on.”

Yorke, who will coach Macarthur FC in the A-League next season, said it was immediately clear Kuol had talent when he took the All Stars group through two days of limited preparation.

“I didn’t know too much about him, and he certainly did surprise Barcelona. He should have gotten two goals,” Yorke said. “Even when we conceded the equaliser it was a stonewall foul on him as well. Overall, fantastic – I’m pleased that the public get to see him because he’s one for the future.”

It now appears to be a matter of time until Kuol follows in his brother’s footsteps and heads to Europe – but because he doesn’t turn 18 until September, the earliest he could make the move is in the January transfer window, during the middle of the A-League season.

Alou has long been telling anyone who will listen that Garang is a much better player. Upon his arrival at Stuttgart, he told the club’s sporting director and famed talent scout Sven Mislintat: “You’ve signed the wrong Kuol.”

There is even a growing school of thought that Kuol should be in serious contention to play for the Socceroos, or at least be picked in Graham Arnold’s squad as a game-changer off the bench, for next month’s World Cup qualification play-offs against the UAE and, if victorious, Peru.

Xavi had nothing but praise for Garang Kuol after the match.Credit:AP

“Watching this guy is crazy,” Alou told the Herald and The Age.

“I don’t even know this kid, I’m just a fan like the rest of us. I send him messages and the kid doesn’t even respond. Might need a signed jersey from this kid.”

Originally from Sudan, the Kuol family – father, Mawien, and mother, Antonita, and their seven children – settled in Shepparton, in northern Victoria, when they moved to Australia. Only a couple of years ago, Garang was playing junior football for the Goulburn Valley Suns in NPL Victoria.

“Alou knew what was going on,” he said. “Alou knew I was better than him.”

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