Awer Mabil (right) addresses a press conference at the Aspire Academy in Doha, yesterday. AFP
Doha: Australia winger Awer Mabil says his team should not be overawed when they meet defending champions and tournament favourites France in their opening fixture of Group D on Tuesday.
Australia will battle it out in Group D against France, Denmark and Tunisia.
“They’re human just like us,” Mabil said yesterday talking of France.
“Obviously they play at a high level but you can’t go to the game thinking, you know, giving them so much respect, because then you’ve already lost the game,” he said talking to the press in Doha.
“You’ve just got to go out there and do your thing and do it to the best of your ability. If it’s your day it’s your day. If it’s not your day then OK, but I’m not scared of facing anybody. That’s my mentality.”
The 27-year-old who plays for Cadiz in La Liga would hope his confidence would have an effect on his teammates.
“We have the motivation to try to shock the world in our style,” said Mabil.
The South Sudanese Australian scored through a spot-kick in a play-off penalty shoot-out win against Peru that secured Socceroos’s spot in Qatar 2022.
Australia met France, Denmark and Peru in the Group stage of the last World Cup in Russia and drew with Denmark 1-1 but were beaten France 2-1 and Peru 2-0 and failed to advance.
Graham Arnold’s side have reached the World Cup for the fifth time in succession. The Socceroos’ best showing was at Germany 2006 when they reached the last 16 only to be knocked out by eventual champions Italy.
Mabil though has some extra motivation for the match against Denmark whom some pundits have termed as dark horses of this World Cup.
“We’re really excited about the group, especially for the Denmark game as my girlfriend is from there and it would be nice to get one over her,” he said.
Mabil’s parents were lucky to escape the civil war in the Central African country of South Sudan in the 1990s. Mabil was born in September 1995 at a crowded refugee camp in Kakuma, Northwestern Kenya.
Mabil came to yesterday’s press meet with defender Thomas Deng and 18-year-old forward Garang Kuol – all hailed from South Sudan.
Both Mabil and Deng made their national debut for Australia in the same match.
Kuol was recently signed by English Premier League side Newcastle United.
“It’s a very exciting experience for me, obviously I’ve been watching the Socceroos for a long time... this is where I want to prove myself,” said Kuol.
A surprise attacking weapon Kuol earned a debut for the national team without a single senior game at club level.
“I wouldn’t say it was intimidating - rather I find it more exciting to see what I can do against players of that caliber,” he said.
Having been born and spent their young days at refugee camps in Kenya the trio have gone through untold hardships to be where they are today – representing their adopted country at a World Cup.
Deng said the trio hopes their lives would inspire so many children in Australia’s African community.
“It drives us, it gives us motivation to do better, especially having so many young children that are looking up at us,” he told reporters at the team’s training camp.
“Sometimes it’s easy to go to down the wrong path but... they can see people from their community representing such a country,” Mabil said.
“I think it is something that I, as a kid, wanted to see, somebody from our community showing me that way, so for us the only motivation is to try to push higher.”
