The trio of refugees looking to drive Australian World Cup success

[p]Coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popovic-tony/ttgVDVCA/"]Tony Popovic[/a] is putting his faith in attackers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-mohamed/SfbYnjVB/"]Mohamed Toure[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/irankunda-nestor/OdWRR5EU/"]Nestory Irankunda[/a], two young talents eyeing their first ‌World Cup minutes in the Socceroos' opening match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/turkey/QeijuHo5/"]Turkey[/a] on Saturday.[/p][p]At 30, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mabil-awer/EZJnz8L7/"]Awer Mabil[/a] is the duo's "[i]older brother[/i]" and will be ‌on hand to support them as a mentor at his second World Cup.[/p][p]The three have ‌a shared experience as the children of asylum seekers who rose through the footballing ranks in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a]'s sleepy state capital ‌of Adelaide.[/p][p]Already feted among Australia's 500,000-strong African diaspora, their chemistry may be key to Australia's ‌hopes of advancing through the group phase and winning a World Cup knockout match for the first time.[/p][p]"[b]It's the country that gave us the opportunity to live,[/b]" said 22-year-old Toure.[/p][p]"[b]So I think [/b](the World Cup) [b]would be the best way to pay back ‌and just do what I love at a top level.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="03dce0ad-e277-4f00-b45e-51beb4eb9955" url="https://x.com/Socceroos/status/2062155363542282624" social-type="twitter" /][p]Toure, who ⁠plays in England's second tier, was born in a ‌refugee camp in Guinea after his parents fled Liberia.[/p][p]Despite only having 10 caps, he has made himself Popovic's first-choice ​striker after a flying start with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norwich/Qo6off6p/"]Norwich City[/a] where he scored nine goals in 11 appearances.[/p][p]He is firm friends with 20-year-old Irankunda, who drew his first breath in a Tanzanian ​refugee camp and also plays in England's second tier for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/watford/UmMRoGzp/"]Watford[/a].[/p][p]Irankunda's much-hyped signing by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] in 2024 did not work out but the son of Burundian parents has become a fan favourite in ⁠15 appearances for Australia with his energy ​and flashy goal celebrations.[/p][p]Mabil's first foray into soccer was playing with other kids at a refugee camp in Kenya where he lived until he was 10 following his family's displacement by civil war in Sudan.[/p][p]Overlooked by Popovic initially, the 38-cap forward was recalled to the Socceroos for the first time in nearly two years in ‌March after finding form for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/castellon/QyHHzdwl/"]Castellon[/a] in Spain's second division.[/p][p]"[b]Obviously, I had a little taste in the last one [/b](World Cup), [b]but this one will mean extra because I think it's not been an easy couple of years for me,[/b]" he said.[/p][embed guid="8c4ff7bc-83de-4dfc-b24b-e3b392efd79b" url="https://x.com/ESPNAfrica/status/2064996119721959510" social-type="twitter" /][p]Once all-but-dominated by players with European heritage, Socceroos squads have become increasingly diverse.[/p][p]Six players with African heritage - nearly a quarter of the World Cup squad - will hope to take the field in North America, double the amount selected for Qatar 2022.[/p][p]Four grew up and played in Adelaide, an unlikely hotbed of African soccer talent.[/p][p]Towering, Japan-based striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yengi-tete/YTFoCLya/"]Tete Yengi[/a], who scored on his debut in Australia's 1-1 World Cup warmup against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a], is the other member of the Adelaide cohort.[/p][p]Yengi, whose brother Kusini ‌is also a capped Socceroos forward, has South Sudanese heritage and a strong rapport with his former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/adelaide-utd/4AZ2ueHm/"]Adelaide ​United[/a] teammate Irankunda.[/p][p]The Adelaide A-League club has strong links to the city's African communities and a ‌record of promoting raw juniors, having given Irankunda his debut at 15.[/p][p]"[b]That's why we keep producing these hidden gems,[/b]" Deng Akoy, a South Sudanese-Australian coach for Adelaide's youth team, told Reuters.[/p][p]While Australia grants asylum to thousands of refugees every year, immigration has become a political football in the country, with populist politicians blaming it for high housing costs and social ills.[/p][p]Players like Toure and Irankunda ⁠have the chance to shift the narrative at the ⁠World Cup and show the success of ‌multiculturalism, said Akoy.[/p][p]"[b]Australian football is reflecting modern Australia. So that's something we should all celebrate.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="eb8b72d6-d702-41ed-840d-ef75789bf018" url="https://x.com/SBSSportau/status/2065328538006212744" social-type="twitter" /]