Alou Kuol might well be having the best week of his life.
After the Shepparton football sensation lifted the A-League Men’s premiership plate with Central Coast Mariners last Wednesday, Kuol scored the goal that landed his club a famous AFC Cup on Monday morning (AEST).
The 22-year-old forward scored an 84th-minute winner during the final against Lebanese outfit Al-Ahed in Oman, propelling the Mariners to a storied title on foreign soil.
Mariners coach Mark Jackson was ecstatic with the efforts of Kuol and company during the post-match press conference, touching on the magnitude of Monday’s triumph.
“We’re extremely delighted; it was a very, very tough game against an excellent opponent,” he said.
“We had to be good on the day; we had to stay strong, we had to stay focused and we knew that one goal would probably win the game and we managed to get that goal so we’re very, very pleased.
“This is not only big for our football club and our supporters but it’s very big for Australia.
“We’ve not had much success over the years; I think we’re only the second team to be successful in such a competition.
“ So for Australian football, it shows that we can compete with the best teams in Asia so that’s very important for Australia as a country.”
Kuol was used sparingly throughout the Mariners’ AFC Cup campaign, which began in September 2023, but he showed up in the biggest moment of them all.
The ex-Goulburn Valley Sun entered the fold against Al-Ahed off the bench in the 64th minute and only took 20 minutes to have the ultimate say on the decider.
Mariners midfielder Ronald Barcellos rolled Kuol through on goal with little to work with angle-wise, yet in a split-second, the ball was in the net.
Shepparton’s finest contorted his body in a sliding motion to wrap his foot around the ball and whip it through the Al-Ahed goalkeeper’s legs, then running off to bust out one of his trademark celebrations.
Less than 10 minutes later, the game was done, and Kuol’s contribution proved to be everything.
It means the Mariners become just the second Australian club to take silverware from Asia after Western Sydney Wanderers’ 2014 AFC Champions League collect.
And, while Kuol is enjoying a glowing week, there is still scope for it to improve.
The Mariners begin their charge at a treble on Friday when meeting Sydney FC in the first of a two-legged A-League semi-final.