It’s the brilliant picture that reflects the modern Socceroos — and it could hold the key to the emergence of Australia’s next golden generation.
Graham Arnold’s squad has three players of South Sudanese descent and Awer Mabil, Thomas Deng and Garang Kuol fronted the media together in Doha on Friday, four days out from Australia’s World Cup opener against France.
They spoke of their strong bond and the importance they felt as role models for other African-Australians.
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Australia’s multicultural squad in Qatar features four players of African descent — Keanu Baccus who was born in South Africa. Mabil and Deng were born in Kenya and Kuol Egypt.
Some of the nation’s most exciting emerging talents are African-Australians and the trend is expected to continue in line with migration figures. The likes of Mabik, Deng and Kuol are at the front line of the movement and they believe even more talented players are coming through.
“We are basically trying to open up pathways for not just Australian kids but hopefully kids from our communities,” Mabil said.
“When they can see people from their community representing such a country is something that as a kid I wanted to see someone from our community show that way.
“That is only motivation to try and push higher so that these kids, because for sure there will be kids that are better than us, we just want to show them the way so that is our motivation to try and show them and try and be the leaders in everything that we do.”
FRANCE’S SECRET PLAN FOR ‘COMPLICATED’ SOCCEROOS CLASH
If reigning champions France are devising a specfic plan for Wednesday morning’s (AEDT) clash with the Socceroos, they’re certainly not giving it away.
A day after star strker Olivier Giroud admitted he did not know who was in the current Australian squad, defender Lucas Hernandez was again vague when asked about the threats presented by Graham Arnold’s team.
However the Socceroos’ performance againt France in Russia four years ago, losing 2-1, has clearly made an impact on Les Bleus, who continue to reference it as motivation.
“We haven’t started talking about the first match. It’s not a good moment to prepare for a game in front of the press so we’ll keep that secret. We’re super hungry,” Hernandez said.
“It will be a complicated match, like it was in 2018 – the first match in the competition. It was hard to win in 2018, they made it difficult. There were lots of difficult moments for us, but luckily we were able to win and to start well in the tournament.
“We’re expecting an aggressive Australian team. They’re going to want to beat us. It’s going to be up to us to do what we have to do on the pitch and start the competition really well by winning the game.”
France are hoping Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane will be fit enough to feature in the match, with teammate Adrien Rabiot insisting both are “determined to play”.
Benzema has been struggling with a thigh problem while Varane is recovering from a leg injury.
Both players trained apart from the rest of the France squad during a session open to the media at the home stadium of Qatari champions Al Sadd on Thursday evening.
“Karim and Raphael are doing really well,” Rabiot said on Friday. “They trained apart because that was the protocol that was in place for them.
“They are good and are really keen to play, but I don’t know if they will be involved in the first match.”
— with AFP
‘DIDN’T MAKE SENSE’: MABIL CLIPS COACH
Mabil, meanwhile, has expressed his frustration at his puzzling lack of recent minutes with Spanish club Cádiz heading into the tournament.
The 27-year-old winger has managed only five appearances this season since he switched from the Danish league and says he has been kept in the dark by manager Sergio González as to why.
“I told the coach (I wasn’t happy) but he hasn’t really given me a reason and I couldn’t dwell, I just had to look forward to the future and the future was the World Cup,” Mabil said of the situation.
“… it was very frustrating because I know I can make an impact. For me it didn’t really make sense why all of a sudden I didn’t come on for especially two or three games in a row, that was strange for me.
“But it also brings a new challenge and for me to develop my mind and how I deal with these kind of challenges is something that I had to learn. I didn’t take it well at the start but now I know having good people around me that back me well and I find a way to get the best out of my days every single day and that is what I can control and be happy with that and then the rest, it’s not up to me.”
Mabil is one of several Socceroos starved of club game-time heading but he isn’t fazed.
”The positive side of things is I have been training like a monster and I am really ready to go out there and do my people and my country (proud),” he said.