Announced as a part of the squad on Saturday after Daniel De Silva became unavailable due to illness, Kuol was injected into Sunday’s contest in the 73rd minute sporting the number 44 jersey — becoming just the second player hailing from the Goulburn Valley to reach the topflight alongside Tatura’s Vince Lia.
While United eventually sunk the Mariners 6-2, there was no taking away from the span of his remarkable achievement having made the jump to the A-League after plying his trade in the nation’s third tier mere months ago.
The teenager’s first involvement came five minutes into his debut, as he towered above United’s Jonathan Aspropotamitis to win a header from defender Jack Clisby’s lurching ball forward.
A chance came from a similar field position in the minutes following as he latched on to Gianni Stensness’ audacious lofted pass, but was unable to wriggle away on goal after being sandwiched between three green and black shirts.
With United clearly on the front foot, most of Kuol’s involvement came in the form of aerial duels, where he showcased to the crowd at GMHBA Stadium his freakish vertical leap against a wily home defence.
As the final whistle loomed, Kuol came close to making an unforgettable day even more memorable, as he picked up possession and squared a pass to teammate Chris Harold on the edge of the area.
The former Perth Glory forward failed to oblige, however, subsequently blazing the ball over the bar to deny Kuol a debut assist.
But result aside, his journey to the top is what made the occasion all the more special.
Kuol first turned heads at the Goulburn Valley Suns last year where he was crowned the competition’s most prolific forward, scoring 22 goals for the Orangemen to earn the National Premier League Two golden boot award.
He then struck pay dirt for the Mariner’s in the Y-League this summer, averaging a goal-a-game in the six appearances he made for Central Coast’s youth outfit.
Now much more than just a blip on manager Alen Stajcic’s radar, it is hard to say just exactly how many ceilings Kuol will continue to break through on football pitches across the country.
