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Kusini Yengi

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Kusini Yengi
Yengi with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2022
Personal information
Full name Kusini Boja Yengi
Date of birth (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Portsmouth
Number 10
Youth career
0000 Fulham United
2014 SA NTC
2015–2017 Adelaide Comets
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Adelaide Comets 16 (0)
2018–2020 Adelaide United NPL 23 (3)
2019–2022 Adelaide United 27 (6)
2022–2023 Western Sydney Wanderers 18 (4)
2023– Portsmouth 34 (9)
International career‡
2022 Australia U23 4 (0)
2023– Australia 9 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Kusini Boja Yengi (born 15 January 1999) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Portsmouth and the Australia national team.

Early life

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Kusini Boja Yengi was born on 15 January 1999[1][2] in Adelaide, South Australia, to Ben, a refugee advocate born in what is now South Sudan who emigrated to Australia in the early 1970s,[3] and Emma Yengi, an English-born primatologist.[4][5]

Club career

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Adelaide United

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On 21 February 2020, Yengi made his debut for Adelaide United coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute in a 5–2 defeat to the Western Sydney Wanderers, the club he would join two years later.[6][7]

On 13 March 2021, he scored a goal and registered an assist against arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, with Yengi celebrating his goal by leaping over advertising hoardings and celebrating in front of Melbourne Victory supporters.[8][9]

Western Sydney Wanderers

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On 12 November 2022, Yengi, after an assist from Milos Ninkovic, scored the only goal to beat Sydney FC and win the Sydney Derby for the Western Sydney Wanderers, from then Yengi has scored in both Sydney Derbys at Allianz Stadium obtaining and assist from Amor Layouni.

Portsmouth

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On 2 July 2023, Yengi signed for EFL League One club Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee.[10] He scored the equaliser on his debut against Bristol Rovers on 5 August; the match finished 1–1.[11] Three days later, he scored a brace in a 3–1 win over Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup.[12]

International career

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Yengi received his first call-up to the Australia national team in November 2023 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bangladesh and Palestine.[13] He shared his squad selection with former Adelaide United teammates Craig Goodwin and Joe Gauci. He made his international debut for the Socceroos against Bangladesh in Melbourne on 16 November 2023, coming on as a 72nd minute substitute for Brandon Borrello.

Yengi was selected in Graham Arnold's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, and played in a friendly match against Bahrain preceding the tournament. Yengi made his first appearance in the starting lineup for the Socceroos in their third match of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, against Uzbekistan.[14]

On 26 March 2024, Yengi scored his first international goal against Lebanon during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match.

Personal life

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Yengi's younger brother, Tete Yengi, also plays as a forward for Livingston, who compete in the Scottish Championship. Tete has previously played for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League and Ipswich Town in the EFL Championship.[15][16]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 12 March 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Adelaide United 2019–20 A-League 3 0 0 0 — — 3 0
2020–21 A-League 16 4 0 0 — — 16 4
2021–22 A-League Men 8 2 1 0 — — 9 2
Total 27 6 1 0 — — 28 6
Western Sydney Wanderers 2022–23 A-League Men 18 4 0 0 — — 18 4
Portsmouth 2023–24 League One 26 9 1 0 1 2 3[c] 2 31 13
Career total 71 19 2 0 1 2 3 2 77 23
  1. ^ Includes Australia Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in EFL Trophy

International

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As of 19 November 2024 [17]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Australia 2023 1 0
2024 8 5
Total 9 6
Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yengi goal.
List of international goals scored by Kusini Yengi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 March 2024 Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia  Lebanon 1–0 5–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 6 June 2024 Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka, Bangladesh  Bangladesh 2–0 2–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 11 June 2024 Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth, Australia  Palestine 1–0 5–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 3–0
5 19 November 2024 Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain  Bahrain 1–0 2–2 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 2–2

Honours

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Portsmouth

References

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  1. ^ "Kusini Yengi". Socceroos. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Kusini Yengi (Forward, Western Sydney)". Ultimate A-League. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  3. ^ Smithies, Tom (12 January 2022). "From Africa to Adelaide, the Yengi family's story keeps growing". keepup.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Orangutan escapee triggers more chaos". 9 News. 11 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. ^ Larkin, Steve (16 March 2021). "Racial abuse must stop: Adelaide's Yengi". Newcastle Herald. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022. Yengi, born in Adelaide to an English mother and South Sudanese father...
  6. ^ Warren, Adrian (22 February 2020). "Verbeek hopes Adelaide can keep Halloran". The Courier. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  7. ^ "A-League: news, Western Sydney Wanderers v Adelaide United, Mohamed Toure, score, video, highlights". Fox Sports. 21 February 2020. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  8. ^ D'Urbano, Nick. "More pain for Melbourne Victory as Kusini Yengi sparks Adelaide United fightback". Herald Sun. News Corp. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ^ Comito, Matthew. "Mauk, Yengi star as Reds seal comeback win over Victory in tense Original Rivalry clash". A-League. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Yengi Joins Blues". portsmouthfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Pompey 1 Bristol Rovers 1". Portsmouth FC. 5 August 2023. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Forest Green Rovers 1-3 Portsmouth". BBC. 8 August 2023. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Yengi details that Graham Arnold call and 'whirlwind' journey to Socceroos". socceroos.com.au. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  14. ^ Wiseman, Lewis (24 January 2024). "First Socceroos start a 'very proud moment' for Kusini Yengi". Socceroos.
  15. ^ Paquette, Catherine (28 September 2021). "NEWCASTLE JETS A-LEAGUE ATTACKER BECOMES SECOND AUSSIE AT IPSWICH TOWN". FTBL. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  16. ^ Apicella, Liam (6 April 2022). "Ipswich Town striker Tete Yengi signs on loan for Finnish club Vaasan Palloseura". Suffolk News. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Kusini Yengi – Stats and titles". Footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Portsmouth 3–2 Barnsley: Pompey seal promotion to Championship with dramatic win". Sky Sports. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
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