Awan Lual

Awan Lual
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-12-16) 16 December 2006 (age 19)
Place of birth Kenya
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Western Sydney Wanderers
Number 19
Youth career
Blacktown Spartans
2023–2024 Western Sydney Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Western Sydney Wanderers (NPL) 71 (32)
2024– Western Sydney Wanderers 13 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 October 2026

Awan Lual (born 16 December 2006) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for A-League Men club Western Sydney Wanderers.

Early and personal life

Lual was born on 16 December 2006 in a refugee camp in Kenya to parents from South Sudan. His father, Lual Awan Lueth, was considered a "war hero" during the civil war before his family fled to Sydney, Australia when Lual was one year of age. Raised in Mount Druitt, a suburb in Western Sydney, Lual is the third-eldest child out of eight children. As a child, he grew up playing soccer with his older brother, Lueth Awan, and idolised Ivorian soccer player Didier Drogba. His older brother also played basketball and signed for NBL team Sydney Kings in August 2026. His father was an air traffic controller at Sydney Airport.

On 22 October 2024, Lual's father was killed in a car accident on the Great Western Highway at St Marys. The driver, Edgar Stephen Haufano, was found intoxicated on meth and plead guilty for manslaughter at court in August 2026.

Career

Western Sydney Wanderers

Lual began his youth career at Blacktown Spartans and Western Sydney Wanderers in NPL. In his first season with the Wanderers, he scored 20 goals in 38 appearances for both the under-18 and under-20 teams. He was included in the senior squad for the 2024 season and scored his first senior goal in a 2–1 win over Hills United on 24 February 2024. He managed two goals in 16 league appearances by July with five games left in the season. In the 2024 Australia Cup, Lual made his first-team debut against Brisbane City in the Round of 32. After the 2025 season with the NPL squad, Lual made his A-League Men debut on 18 October 2025 against Melbourne City. He scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 home loss to Newcastle Jets on 16 January 2026. With one goal in nine appearances in the 2025–26 season, he signed on a three-year scholarship contract in February.

Lual was included in the squad for the 2026 NPL NSW season and was awarded the league's Golden Boot with 21 goals. Lual scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–0 win over Sydney Olympic on 21 March 2026. He scored another hat-trick with four goals and his 13th of the campaign in a 6–0 win over Sydney FC on 29 May to lead as the top goalscorer of the league. By his 20th league appearance at the end of July, Lual recorded 17 goals and led the Golden Boot over Damian Tsekenis by two goals. He scored his 20th goal on 1 August against UNSW FC and became the youngest player to score 20 goals in NPL NSW Men's history at the age of 19 years and 234 days. Lual added one more goal to his tally on the last game of the season in a 3–1 win over Blacktown City. Along with the Golden Boot, he was named in the men's Team of the Year for NPL NSW.

For the 2026–27 season in the A-League, Lual suffered a hamstring injury in the first-half of the Sydney Derby in the first league match of the season.

References

  1. 1 2 "Official A-League Men 2026–27 Season Guide" (PDF). A-Leagues. 15 October 2026. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Clarke, George (24 January 2026). "Rising A-League teenager triumphs over tragedy and war". Canberra Times. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Dobson, Tileah (21 August 2026). "Drug-driver Edgar Haufano who killed war hero confronted in court by heartbroken family". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Logue, Matt (23 December 2025). "Inside Sydney's Sudanese talent pool: How Lueth Awan went from a raw talent to a dunking King". CODE Sports. News Sport Network. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Rising guard Lueth Awan becomes a King | Sydney Kings". Sydney Kings. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  6. ↑ Hogan, Bill; Luff, Bryce (23 October 2024). "Tragic detail emerges after father killed in horrific crash on way to work". Seven News. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Brischetto, Patrick (26 July 2024). "Academy Spotlight: Awan Lual". Western Sydney Wanderers. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Wanderers outgun Hills". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  9. ↑ Brischetto, Patrick (1 August 2024). "Wanderers secure gritty win over Brisbane City in opening round of Australia Cup". Western Sydney Wanderers. Retrieved 25 October 2026. The Wanderers were able to see the game out, and also gave senior debuts to Academy prospects Awan Lual...
  10. ↑ "Wanderers Share the Spoils with Melbourne City in Season Opener". Western Sydney Wanderers. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2026. Wanderers finished the match by bringing on Awan Lual on his A-League Men debut...
  11. ↑ Edsall, Rudi (17 January 2026). "Stunning Eli Adams free kick helps Newcastle up to third with win over Wanderers". A-Leagues. Retrieved 25 October 2026. The Wanderers forced the Jets' hearts into their mouths in the 83rd minute when substitute Awan Lual scored his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal...
  12. ↑ "Rising star Awan Lual signs three-year scholarship with Western Sydney Wanderers". Western Sydney Wanderers. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  13. 1 2 "A campaign to remember for Awan Lual". Western Sydney Wanderers. 14 September 2026. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  14. ↑ Stavroulakis, Mark (21 March 2026). "Lual hat-trick guides Wanderers to dominant win over Olympic". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  15. ↑ Stavroulakis, Mark (29 May 2026). "Wanderers hit six in Sydney FC demolition". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  16. ↑ Pisani, Sacha (31 May 2026). "A hat-trick by half-time & 4 by full-time. This 'special' talent just announced himself". HIGHPRESS. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  17. ↑ Stavroulakis, Mark (24 July 2026). "Golden Boot Charge: Wanderers Starlet Awan Lual Making His Mark In NPL NSW". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  18. ↑ Stavroulakis, Mark (1 August 2026). "Lual Reaches 20 As Wanderers Continue Finals Charge". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  19. ↑ Stavroulakis, Mark (30 August 2026). "Wanderers Finish 2026 On A High With Victory Over Blacktown City". NPL Men's NSW. Football NSW. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  20. ↑ "Lual sidelined with hamstring injury". Western Sydney Wanderers. 22 October 2026. Retrieved 25 October 2026.