Alou Kuol and Garang Kuol face an anxious wait to see if they will be selected for the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Shepparton soccer siblings Garang and Alou Kuol are sweating on making the Australia squad for the FIFA Men’s World Cup - after they were left off the roster for an upcoming training camp.
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With the countdown on ahead of the finals in the Americas in less than a month’s time, it remains to be seen whether the Goulburn Valley brothers can make a late push for contention before the official squad list is announced on June 1.
As it stands, neither player looks to be a shoe-in for a seat on the plane ahead of the pre-tournament camp in Sarasota, Florida starting on May 28 prior to an exhibition match against World Cup co-hosts Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 30.
After this friendly clash, Australia will kick off in Group D of the tournament against Turkiye in Vancouver on June 13 (June 14 AEST).
Then, a game against co-hosts the United States will follow in Seattle (June 19) before a final group game versus Paraguay in Santa Clara (June 25).
Garang Koul
Australia's Garang Kuol challenges for the ball during the 2022 World Cup clash against Argentina and Australia (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
When it comes to Garang Kuol, the Sparta Prague forward has gone three years without a cap for the Socceroos - having last pulled on the famous green and gold against Ecuador back in March of 2023.
Prior to this, the striker was very much viewed as the great young hope for the land down under, after he burst onto the scene in style at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 in record-breaking fashion.
Becoming the youngest player since Brazilian icon Pele to appear at the knockout stage of the world’s most popular sporting spectacle, he also very nearly grabbed a timely equalizer against eventual tournament winners Argentina in the last 16.
After being introduced from the bench, the teenager saw a late effort on goal denied by opposition goalkeeper Emi Martinez in the closing moments of the clash - as Australia exited the competition after a 2-1 defeat against Lionel Messi and co.
Nearly four years on from that eye-catching cameo, the 21-year-old has had something of a journeyman career, with a move to Newcastle United followed by loan switches to sides in Scotland and the Netherlands before his switch to Sparta Prague.
However, it appears that the five-time international’s performances in the Czech Republic have failed to catch the eye of national team head coach Tony Popovic in the lead up to the World Cup.
Alou Koul
Alou Kuol in action for Australia’s youth side against Mediterranean Select at the Maurice Revello Tournament held in France.
In the case of younger brother Alou Koul, the 24-year-old is still yet to establish himself at senior international level despite excelling on the youth scene.
The former GV Suns prospect impressed while representing the Australia under-23s, making 14 outings for the side and scoring five times between 2022 and 2024.
Perhaps the highlight of his time with the Olyroos came in a group stage clash with Iraq in the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup as he scored a scorpion kick which was later nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal scored globally that year.
However, international recognition has been hard to come by since then for the current Western Sydney Wanderers forward - who has returned to the A-League in recent years following stints abroad including a spell in Germany with Stuttgart.
Prior to joining his current employers at CommBank Stadium, the striker turned out for the Central Coast Mariners for two seasons, scoring 22 times in 103 outings in the club’s yellow and navy colours.
The attacker has made 14 appearance alongside scoring once in Australia’s top flight this season, as Wanderers finished rock-bottom of the league ladder.
Australia pre-tournament World Cup squad
Patrick Beach (Melbourne City), Aziz Behich (Melbourne City), Daniel Bennie (QPR), Raphael Borges Rodrigues (Wigan Athletic, on loan from Coventry City), Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers), Jordan Bos (Feyenoord), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Cameron Burgess (Swansea City), Anthony Caceres (Macarthur FC), Nick D'Agostino (Brisbane Roar), Milos Degenek (APOEL FC), Cameron Devlin (Hearts), Mitch Duke (Macarthur FC), Joe Gauci (Port Vale, on loan from Aston Villa), Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata), Ajdin Hrustic (Heracles Almelo), Nestory Irankunda (Watford), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli), Jacob Italiano (Grazer AK), Paul Izzo (Randers), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Dylan Leonard (Schalke), Connor Metcalfe (St. Pauli), Aiden O'Neill (New York City FC), Alex Robertson (Cardiff City), Harry Souttar (Leicester City), Gianni Stensness (Viking), Ante Suto (Hibernian), Mohamed Toure (Norwich City), Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory).
