Garang Kuol played his first match of 2024 with FC Volendam today. The Australian played seventy minutes in the practice match against the Albanian FK Partizani (1-1). The fast attacker is currently enjoying the Turkish sun during the training camp, but usually also life in the fishing village. “I’ve been having a great time since the first week,” Kuol said.
Just after the match, the only 19-year-old Kuol announced that it is no punishment to be in Turkey at the moment. “A clear blue sky and a lovely sun. The energy here at the training camp is good. We needed that as a team. But put me on any football field and I get a smile on my face,” Kuol says over the phone. . “I also really like life in Volendam. We have a good team and everyone within the club wants the best for me.”
Of course, Kuol, who is rented from Newcastle United, was not blind to the chaos that has prevailed at FC Volendam in recent weeks. The club’s board had to leave and the entire Team Jonk, including trainer Matthias Kohler, also said goodbye. “I didn’t always understand what was happening behind the scenes and what exactly happened. Of course you get the feeling that the trainer is resigning, but fortunately the performance on the field did not deteriorate. Just look at our last two games against Feyenoord and Heerenveen,” said a positive Kuol.
Due to Kohler’s sudden departure, the duo Regillio Simons and Michael Dingsdag now lead the group. “I get along well with Michael. He is very easy to get along with. You can easily talk to him. You also notice that he wants to make a good connection with the players. If you have a problem you can always contact him “These are qualities that are very important for the team.”
Moreover, Kuol likes the new formation in which Simons and Dingsdag seem to want to play. “We now play with five defenders, three midfielders and two attackers. Today I was one of the two attackers. I have played in this position before in the past. But it doesn’t matter to me whether I am in the point or on the wing as long as I play.”
Asia Cup
Despite the positive energy Kuol seems to have, he recently had to deal with a major disappointment. The 5-time international of Australia was told that he had not been selected to participate with his country in the Asian Cup. Kuol: “I had hoped to be selected. It is difficult to say whether I saw it coming. You do not know what the national coach’s plans are. The national coach has his own ideas and I have to respect that.”
FC Volendam and Kuol will play a final practice match on Monday, January 8, during the training camp in Turkey. The Swiss FC Winterthur is then the opponent. A day later the selection flies back to the Netherlands. FC Volendam will resume its Premier League season on Sunday, January 14, with a home match against Almere City.