Rising Star Paul Okon Jnr Eyes World Cup As He Faces Juan Mata
Paul Okon Jnr, the young Australian footballer making waves with the Socceroos, believes his recent encounter with the legendary Juan Mata will be a valuable experience as he continues to build his career. At just 21 years old, Okon Jnr has already made a significant impact on the field, both at Sydney FC and with the national team.
Okon Jnr’s father, Paul, is an assistant coach for the Socceroos under Tony Popovic, which adds an interesting dynamic to the young player’s journey. His performances have been instrumental in Sydney FC’s impressive run to the A-League Men semi-finals. In his first ever final, Okon Jnr was at the heart of the action during the 1-0 knockout win over Melbourne Victory. The match was not without its challenges, as Okon Jnr received a high boot from Mata, but he embraced the opportunity to face one of the game’s most experienced players.
“Obviously, playing against a player of that calibre, you can see a lot of experience,” Okon Jnr said. “He’s such a great player, and having the opportunity to play against him in such a game, in such an occasion, is just an experience I think I’ll take on for the rest of my footballing career.”
Despite his impressive performances, Okon Jnr remains humble and focused on his immediate goals rather than the long-term prospect of a World Cup call-up. “Obviously it’s something that every footballer wants to achieve going to the World Cup. But I’m not really focused on that at the moment,” he said. “I’m just focused on performing as well as possible for Sydney, and trying to get into that grand final.”
However, his teammate Ben Garuccio is more than happy to highlight Okon Jnr’s potential. “For me, since he’s come back from his injury, he’s been quality – probably since that last Socceroos camp and the couple of games before that. And then since he’s come back, he’s been first class,” Garuccio said. “He’s a great ball-playing midfielder, he’s only going to get better, but I think he’s adding that other side of the game, which is that grunt without the ball. Look, I think very, very highly of him.”
Garuccio also praised goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares, who was named man of the match in the victory over Melbourne Victory. “I think he has been the best keeper in the league by some stretch,” Garuccio said. He hopes that Devenish-Meares gets the attention he deserves after being a train-on in the previous transfer window.
On the other side, Melbourne Victory, who were eliminated from the competition, are hoping that attacker Nishan Velupillay has done enough to secure a spot in the World Cup squad. “Yes, even though this year had some injuries, some ups and downs during the season,” said captain Roderick Miranda. “But I think if you go back this year before, and even the year before, he did a really good lead up to the World Cup, and Tony knows him really well from his time here in Victory, and knows what he can give and can the spark that he can give in the game.”
As the World Cup selection process approaches, players like Okon Jnr are proving that their performances on the pitch can speak louder than words. With determination, skill, and a strong support system, the future looks bright for the next generation of Australian footballers.
