![]() Yengi with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2022 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kusini Boja Yengi | ||
Date of birth | 15 January 1999 | ||
Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | ||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Portsmouth | ||
Number | 19 | ||
Youth career | |||
Fulham United | |||
2014 | SA NTC | ||
2015–2017 | Adelaide Comets | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017–2018 | Adelaide Comets | 16 | (0) |
2018–2020 | Adelaide United NPL | 23 | (3) |
2019–2022 | Adelaide United | 27 | (6) |
2022–2023 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 18 | (4) |
2023– | Portsmouth | 24 | (8) |
International career‡ | |||
2022 | Australia U23 | 4 | (0) |
2023– | Australia | 8 | (4) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 June 2024 |
Kusini Boja Yengi (born 15 January 1999) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Portsmouth and the Australia national team.
Yengi was born in Adelaide to Ben, a refugee advocate born in what is now South Sudan who emigrated to Australia in the early 1970s, [1] and Emma Yengi, an English-born primatologist. [2] [3]
On 21 February 2020, Yengi made his debut for Adelaide United coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute in a 5–2 defeat to the Western Sydney Wanderers, the club he would join two years later. [4] [5]
On 13 March 2021, he scored a goal and registered an assist against arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, with Yengi celebrating his goal by leaping over advertising hoardings and celebrating in front of Melbourne Victory supporters. [6] [7]
On 12 November 2022, Yengi, after an assist from Milos Ninkovic, scored the only goal to beat Sydney FC and win the Sydney Derby for the Western Sydney Wanderers, from then Yengi has scored in both Sydney Derbys at Allianz Stadium obtaining and assist from Amor Layouni.
On 2 July 2023, Yengi signed for EFL League One club Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee. [8] He scored the equaliser on his debut against Bristol Rovers on 5 August; the match finished 1–1. [9] Three days later, he scored a brace in a 3–1 win over Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup. [10]
Yengi received his first call-up to the Australia national team in November 2023 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bangladesh and Palestine. [11] He shared his squad selection with former Adelaide United teammates Craig Goodwin and Joe Gauci. He made his international debut for the Socceroos against Bangladesh in Melbourne on 16 November 2023, coming on as a 72nd minute substitute for Brandon Borrello.
Yengi was selected in Graham Arnold's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, and played in a friendly match against Bahrain preceding the tournament. Yengi made his first appearance in the starting lineup for the Socceroos in their third match of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, against Uzbekistan. [12]
On 26 March 2024, Yengi scored his first international goal against Lebanon during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match.
Yengi's younger brother, Tete Yengi, also plays as a forward for Livingston, who compete in the Scottish Premiership. Tete has previously played for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League and Ipswich Town in the EFL Championship. [13] [14]
Club | Season | League | National cup [lower-alpha 1] | League cup [lower-alpha 2] | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Adelaide United | 2019–20 | A-League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
2020–21 | A-League | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 4 | |||
2021–22 | A-League Men | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||
Total | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 6 | ||||
Western Sydney Wanderers | 2022–23 | A-League Men | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 4 | ||
Portsmouth | 2023–24 | League One | 25 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 [lower-alpha 3] | 2 | 30 | 13 |
Career total | 70 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 76 | 23 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | 7 | 4 | |
Total | 8 | 4 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 March 2024 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia | ![]() | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 6 June 2024 | Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka, Bangladesh | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
3 | 11 June 2024 | Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth, Australia | ![]() | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
4 | 3–0 |
Brett Michael Emerton is an Australian former professional footballer who played for Sydney Olympic, Sydney FC, Feyenoord Rotterdam, Blackburn Rovers and the Australia national team. Able to play as a wide midfielder or defender, Emerton was known for his "speed, ball control and creativity."
Tony Popovic is an Australian association football manager and former player. He is the current manager of A-League club Melbourne Victory.
Nikolai David Topor-Stanley is an Australian former soccer player who played as a centre back. He played for A-League clubs Sydney FC, Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United. He has also played in international squads, the Olyroos and Socceroos, for Australia.
Miloš Ninković is a retired Serbian footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder.
James Troisi is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger.
Mathew Allan Leckie is an Australian soccer player who plays for A-League club Melbourne City and the Australian national team. Leckie, being a quick and agile player, is usually placed on the wing. However, he has previously been deployed as a midfielder, striker/second striker and even as a wing-back.
Aaron Frank Mooy is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He is considered to be one of the great Australian midfielders and one of Huddersfield Town's greatest players in recent decades. Mooy was voted PFA Footballer of the Year a record three times, consecutively, and was nominated for the 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year award. He was named in the A-League Men Team of the Season twice, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year and EFL Team of the Season once. He was voted and named in Australia's Team of the Century.
Massimo Corey Luongo is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Ipswich Town.
Craig Alexander Goodwin is an Australian professional soccer player as a left winger for Saudi Professional League club Al-Wehda and the Australian national team. Known for his agility, crossing and shot placement, he is Adelaide United's all-time leading goalscorer, and considered one of Adelaide United's greatest players.
Tomi Juric is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club NorthEast United.
Jamie Maclaren is an Australian professional soccer player who most recently captained and played as a striker for A-League club Melbourne City. He has also previously played for Darmstadt 98, Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar and Hibernian. Maclaren initially represented Scotland at youth level, but has since appeared for Australia at both youth and senior international level.
Brandon Joel Gaetano Borrello is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a right winger for A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers.
Riley Patrick McGree is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough and the Australian national team.
Aiden Connor O'Neill is an Australian professional soccer player who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Standard Liège and the Australia national team.
Daniel Arzani is a professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for A-League Men club Melbourne Victory. Born in Iran, he represents the Australia national team.
Lachlan Ricky Brook is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for A-League Men club Western Sydney Wanderers.
Gbenga Tai "Ben" Folami is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Melbourne Victory and the Australia national team.
Marco Tilio is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Australian club Melbourne City, on loan from the Scottish club Celtic, and the Australia national team.
Tete Yengi is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for Livingston as a forward. Yengi has previously played for Newcastle Jets, Ipswich Town, VPS, Northampton Town and KuPS.
This page summarises the Australia men's national soccer team fixtures and results in 2023.
Yengi, born in Adelaide to an English mother and South Sudanese father...