Boy Alou Kuol has lit up the Uzbekistan Asian Under-23 Cup with an impressive impact on Australia’s 1-1 draw against Iraq.
The 20-year-old German somehow managed to score with a scorpion kick in the first half discount time at Qarshi on Saturday as the Olyroos got a point despite playing most of the match with 10 men after Kusini Yengi’s initial red card.
Josh Rawlins’s right footed shot from the right side of the box was blocked by the keeper, but the keeper made the save.
“Happy to score the goal,” Kuol said in a Twitter Australia football post. “Don’t ask me how I did it.
“I was running forward and I saw the ball going after me, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I couldn’t do anything else, so I hit it and it came out.
“About 10? I would give him a five. This is normal. Just give me the same ball and I’ll do it again, I’m lying, it was nice. “
Iraq came back to tie the game in the 56th minute when Hasan Abdulkareem equalized.
Australia thought the points had been stolen late when he was awarded a penalty just to have the decision overturned by the VAR.
“Glad to get a point, but it’s a disappointing result, 100%,” Kuol said. “We were up and we had to move on, but in the end Iraq was lucky to get away with a point.”
After beating Kuwait 2-0 in their first match, Australia have four points after two games and only need one point from their last group stage match against Jordan to advance to the quarter-finals.