Australia’s Alou Kuol set the football world alight with an astonishing scorpion kick goal in his team’s 1-1 draw against Iraq at the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup.
Kuol’s strike came late in the first half as he freakishly met the ball with his back heel while in mid-air, sneaking it past the Iraq keeper to give the Aussies a 1-0 lead.
The finish was described as “the greatest goal in the history of football” by SEN’s Adam Peacock and it looms as a genuine contender for the FIFA Puskas Award which is given to the most aesthetically pleasing goal of the calendar year.
🦂🤯
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) June 4, 2022
Could this be a #Puskas contender?@AlouKuol | @FootballAUSpic.twitter.com/ndxDH88HG6
HOLY !!(&:&.&(@(@:&&,&:’znccfie we just saw the greatest goal in the history of football.
— Adam Peacock (@adampeacock3) June 4, 2022
Kuol himself told the Socceroos website that he was left no choice but to throw his right foot at the ball due to the awkward position he found himself in.
“I was running forward and saw the ball go behind me, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’,” Kuol said.
“I couldn’t do anything else, so I just hit it and it came off.
“Out of 10? I’d give it a five. That’s normal. Just give me the same ball and I’ll do it again!
“I’m lying, that was nice.”
Kuol could become the fourth Aussie to be nominated for the Puskas Award, with Tim Cahill (2014), Lisa De Vanna (2013) and Riley McGree (2018) making the shortlist in previous years.
The Australian side next faces Jordan where a draw will see them advance to the quarter-finals of the Under 23 Asian Cup.