Alou Kuol

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Alou Kuol
Alou Kuol.jpg
Kuol playing for VfB Stuttgart II in 2021
Personal information
Full name Alou Mawien Kuol
Date of birth (2001-07-05) 5 July 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Khartoum, Sudan
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Central Coast Mariners
Number 9
Youth career
Shepparton Soccer Club
2014–2017 Goulburn Valley Suns
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2017–2019 Goulburn Valley Suns 46 (28)
2019–2020 CCM Academy 9 (6)
2020–2021 Central Coast Mariners 30 (7)
2021–2023 VfB Stuttgart II 32 (7)
2022SV Sandhausen (loan) 1 (0)
2022–2023 VfB Stuttgart 1 (0)
2023– Central Coast Mariners 35 (7)
International career
2022– Australia U23 14 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 March 2024

Alou Mawien Kuol (born 5 July 2001) is a professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Central Coast Mariners. Born in Sudan, he represents Australia at youth level.

Contents

Early life

Alou Kuol was born in Khartoum to South Sudanese parents, and has five younger brothers and an older brother, who he credits for forcing him to relocate for soccer when he first joined the Mariners Academy. [2] Kuol's family fled Sudan when he was three, staying in Egypt for a year before arriving in Sydney. [3] In 2015, Kuol moved to Shepparton, where he later worked as a kitchen hand while playing youth football. [4]

Club career

Central Coast Mariners

Kuol began his senior career with Victorian side Goulburn Valley Suns, after coming through the side's youth teams. [5] Kuol trialled with A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Western United but was unsuccessful in receiving a contract. [2] He signed for Central Coast Mariners in late-2019, initially playing for the youth team in the Y-League. [6] Kuol also briefly trialed with Portuguese club Sporting CP in their under-19 squad. [2]

Kuol made his professional debut as a substitute on 1 March 2020 in the Mariners' 6–2 defeat against Western United. [7] Three days later, Kuol was awarded a scholarship with the Mariners, extending to the end of the 2020–21 season. [8] [9] He made his starting debut for the Mariners in a goalless draw against Newcastle Jets on 24 July 2020, [10] and received media attention for his colourful post-match interview. [3]

VfB Stuttgart

On 16 April 2021, following interest from several top European teams, Kuol signed a 4-year contract with VfB Stuttgart, signing until June 2025. [11] Delegated to VfB Stuttgart II, Kuol scored seven goals in his first 13 appearances with the reserve side, leading second in the goalscoring charts for the Regionalliga Südwest by November. [12]

On 31 January 2022, Kuol was loaned to SV Sandhausen until the end of the season. [13] He made his debut on 30 April 2022 in a 2–1 defeat to Schalke, in which he was sent off in the 5th-minute of added time, after a challenge on Thomas Ouwejan. Kuol was suspended for three games, missing the remaining matches of the league season. [14]

On his return to Stuttgart, Kuol made his Bundesliga debut on 27 January 2023 in a 2–1 defeat to RB Leipzig. [15] [16] [17]

Return to Central Coast Mariners

On 10 July 2023, Kuol signed a three-year deal to return with Central Coast Mariners. [18] He made his returning debut in the A-League on 20 October 2023 in a 3–0 loss against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium. [19] Kuol was taken off in the 34th minute of the match after suffering a knee injury from a challenge on Alexandar Popovic; doctors tested for an ACL injury but concluded it to be a knock. [20]

Kuol was part of the Mariners' Championship, Premiership and AFC Cup winning 2023-24 season. [21] [22] [23] Kuol scored the only goal of the 2024 AFC Cup final in the 84th minute against Al Ahed. [24]

International career

In May 2022, Kuol was selected in the Australian under-23 team for the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. [25] He scored in Australia's second game of the group stage, netting the opening goal with a scorpion kick in a 1–1 draw with Iraq. [26] [27] [28] [29] Kuol was named as a Puskás award nominee on 13 January 2023 for his strike at Markaziy Stadium. [30] [31] [32]

Personal life

Kuol's younger brother, Garang, plays for Newcastle United. [33] Another younger brother, Teng Kuol, currently plays for Sydney Olympic, [34] after previously playing for the Central Coast Mariners Academy, Western Sydney Wanderers FC Youth and Melbourne Victory FC Youth. [35] [36] [37] [38]

Career statistics

As of 19 August 2024 [39]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] ContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Goulburn Valley Suns 2017 NPL Victoria 2 500050
2018 NPL Victoria 215620176
2019 NPL Victoria 22622102722
Total462830004628
Central Coast Mariners 2019–20 A-League 400040
2020–21 A-League267267
Total3070000307
Central Coast Mariners Academy 2020 [40] NPL NSW 2 9696
VfB Stuttgart II 2021–22 Regionalliga 187187
2022–23 Regionalliga140140
Total3270000327
SV Sandhausen (loan) 2021–22 2. Bundesliga 100010
VfB Stuttgart 2022–23 Bundesliga 10000010
Central Coast Mariners 2023–24 A-League Men 285119 [b] 3389
2024–25 A-League Men00100010
Total2852193399
Career total14753519316157
  1. Includes Australia Cup
  2. Appearances in AFC Cup

Honours

Central Coast Mariners

Individual

See also

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