Migration has long shaped football in Australia.
It was British immigrants at the end of the 19th century that founded the country’s first football clubs in areas across New South Wales. Following the end of World War II it was people from Greece, Italy, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and other parts of Europe that made Australia their new home and heavily pushed the advancement of the sport down under along.
Of Australia’s ‘Golden Generation’, the group of players that reached the last 16 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, six had a Croatian background, three were of Italian heritage, 10 were of British and Irish extraction, one had a Greek background, one German, one Macedonian and one with Indigenous heritage. Multiculturalism has long benefitted the beautiful game in Australia in helping produce players, clubs and coaches.
But today it is not newcomers from Europe that are shaping football on the sports-mad continent but refugees and migrants from Africa. Just as France, England, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Holland have benefited greatly by African arrivals – such as Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Jerome Boateng, Mario Balotelli, Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha, Danny Welbeck, Memphis Depay and George Boateng – both in their national teams and domestic leagues.
Now it is Australia’s turn.
Bernie Ibini, Awer Mabil, Bruce Djite, Golgol Mehbratu, Kwame Yeboah, Jason Geria, Kwabena Appiah, Kofi Danning, Bruce Kamau, Osama Malik, Ruon Tongyik, Thomas Deng, Kaeryn Baccus Mark Ochieng, John Roberts, Abraham Majok, Charles Lokolingoy and Rashid Mahazi have all either played in the A-League, the National Youth League or for one of Australia’s national teams in the past few years.
All were either born in Africa, are children of African parents or moved to Australia with their families at a young age. Many came as refugees, some fleeing war-torn countries, some as part of the flow of globilisation as their families headed abroad in hope for a better life. The result is a culturally and athletically diverse mix that could prove to a huge boon to Australian football.
These players bring unique qualities, the vital combination of skills, talent, pace, power and athleticism that is now so saught after in the world game. African talent dominates across Europe in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga and other top leagues.
Francis Awaritefe was one of the first players of African heritage to wear the green and gold. That was back in 1993, when the striker with the English-Nigerian background, played against South Korea.
He was followed by Djite in 2008, who featured for the Socceroos against Singapore. Another striker, born to parents from Togo and the Ivory Coast, Djite has had a long career in the A-League and now plys his trade in the K-League. Then came Ibini, the former Sydney FC winger, who was capped by Ange Postecoglou in 2014 and now plays in Major League Soccer.
Several more players with African backgrounds are tipped for national team honours in the near future. Sudan-born Tongyik has already played for Australia’s Under-23 team, as has 21-year-old Kenyan-born winger Mabil. Western Sydney midfielder Baccus recently rejected the chance to play for South Africa, the country of his born, in order to focus on winning a spot one day with the Socceroos.
These players can offer Australia a new dimension, a new edge and new source of talent as the national team seeks to rise in the world of football. Come the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new ‘African Generation’ might be powering Australia to brave new heights.
