Making it all the way to the World Cup is a far cry from Mo Touré’s humble beginnings as a Liberian refugee in Guinea.
For the Socceroos rising star and his family of professional soccer players, their story of survival is part of what fuels their drive to succeed.
After settling in Adelaide in 2004 the Touré family found their home and their pathway to greatness.
Brimming with natural talent, determination and lovable personalities, brothers Al Hassan, Mohamed, and Musa Touré quickly caught the attention of talent scouts.
Living the dream their father couldn’t
Eldest brother Al Hassan Touré, who plays as a forward for Sydney FC, said their father’s passion for the game was instilled in them from a young age.
“My dad was a very passionate football player when he played, but obviously he didn’t get the opportunities, so when we came here he registered us straight away and he wanted us to live the dream that he couldn’t live,” he said.
The brothers quickly rose through the ranks after getting started with the Croydon Kings in Adelaide’s inner west.
The Touré brothers, (from left) Al Hassan, Musa and Mo, have been talented soccer players from a young age. (Supplied)
Coach Mark Brazzale said it was clear from “day one” that the boys were special.
He said the family lived across the road from the training ground and it was well known that the boys would sneak onto the ground to play.
“They used to cut a hole in the fence and come in on a Sunday and kick a soccer ball, we all knew it was the Touré boys and we just embraced it and everyone loved them and let them do what they had to do,” Brazzale said.
Adelaide United coach Airton Andrioli said it wasn’t just their raw talent that made the boys stand out, but also their personalities.
Adelaide United coach Airton Andrioli praised the quality of Adelaide’s development programs. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
“Mo is a fantastic kid … he always showed leadership qualities at a young age — very calm, very mature for his age,” Andrioli told the ABC.
“It’s always a pleasure to speak to him, he’s got a big smile on his face and I’m extremely happy for him because he conducts himself extremely well.”
‘Proud moment’ for the Touré family
All three brothers play professionally, but the selection of middle brother, Mo, in the Socceroos World Cup squad has been the biggest achievement of all.
It’s something Mo described as a dream come true, for him and his entire family.
“It’s the country that gave us the opportunity to live, so I think it would be the best way to repay that back and just do what I love at the top level,”
he said.
Speaking to the ABC from Adelaide Airport on Friday morning, on his way to watch his brother play in the World Cup, Al Hassan Touré said he was brimming with pride.
“It was a proud moment for me and my family. A footballer’s dream is to play in the World Cup and having a brother that’s playing there is just special,” Al Hassan said.
Professional soccer player Al Hassan Touré says he is “very proud” of his brother Mo. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
He said the brothers spoke every day and he cherished his close relationship with them.
“We are always talking on the phone, especially about football,” he said.
“We share a lot of moments throughout our life but we are always grateful to have each other, and we learn off each other every day.
“Mohamed has taught me a lot of things: his mindset, his drive, the winning mentality he has. Also the same as Musa — they have great mindsets and they want to do whatever they can do be the best version of themselves.
“It’s motivational, they looked up to me when they were younger and now I’m looking up to them.”
Footballs made from plastic bags
The fraternal connection is also strong for fellow Adelaidean football prodigies Tete and Kusini Yengi.
Newly minted Socceroo Tete Yengi sensationally scored his first goal for Australia on his debut during a friendly match against Switzerland last Sunday.
Kusini Yengi told the ABC they both had the world stage in their sights from a young age.
From playing with makeshift balls, to scoring for the Socceroos, Tete Yengi is a promising young rising star. (J.LEAGUE via Getty Images)
“Me and my brother kind of always thought that we would end up here — we were pretty confident kids, we put in a lot of hard work and we kind of dedicated ourselves to achieving these goals,” he said.
“I was not surprised at all. I was hoping and I was pretty confident he would get called up.”
Both boys were born in Adelaide, but spent part of their childhood in South Sudan, where their father, prominent refugee advocate Ben Yengi, originated.
“Dad had a plan to go back to South Sudan to his village to rebuild his village and give back to his country and use the wealth and the knowledge and education that he’d received here in Australia to help improve the situation and the lives of his family and friends back home,” Kusini Yengi said.
“We used to play football under the mangrove tree with footballs made from plastic bags.
“Like, tonnes of plastic bags just wrapped up on one another then some string wrapped around it to form a kind of circular, square kind of object that we’d kick around and make goals out of two little rocks. The kids loved it.”
Tete Yengi (left), with his cousins and older brother Kusini Yengi (right) in Africa. (Supplied)
Kusini Yengi, who missed out on selection to the World Cup squad due to injury, said he was looking forward to watching his brother.
Development program paves the way
Tete Yengi and Mo Touré are among five Adelaide players who have made it onto this year’s World Cup squad for the Socceroos, alongside Nestory Irankunda, Awer Mabil and Paul Izzo.
Adelaide United coach Airton Andrioli said it was an exceptional achievement that demonstrated the quality of Adelaide’s development programs.
“We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve got so many players in the Socceroos and participating in the World Cup now,” Andrioli told the ABC.
“I’ll be watching those games with a lot of expectations and wishing those boys do really well for our country.”
