Awer Mabil facts for kids
Mabil playing for Australia at 2019 AFC Asian Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Awer Bul Mabil | ||
| Date of birth | 15 September 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Kakuma, Kenya | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Castellón | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St Augustines | |||
| Playford City | |||
| Salisbury East Junior Soccer Club | |||
| 2010–2011 | SA NTC | ||
| 2012–2015 | Adelaide United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012 | Campbelltown City | 14 | (1) |
| 2013–2015 | Adelaide United | 47 | (8) |
| 2015–2022 | Midtjylland | 108 | (16) |
| 2016–2017 | → Esbjerg fB (loan) | 25 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | → Paços de Ferreira (loan) | 26 | (2) |
| 2022 | → Kasımpaşa (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Cádiz | 5 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Sparta Prague (loan) | 14 | (2) |
| 2023–2025 | Grasshoppers | 28 | (5) |
| 2025– | Castellón | 14 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014–2015 | Australia U20 | 9 | (4) |
| 2015 | Australia U23 | 6 | (0) |
| 2018– | Australia | 35 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2024 |
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Awer Bul Mabil (born 15 September 1995) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a winger for the Spanish club CD Castellón. Awer was born in a refugee camp in Kenya. He now plays for the Australian national team.
Mabil started playing youth soccer at the South Australian National Training Centre. He also played for Adelaide United. He made his first senior team appearance for Campbelltown City. Then, in 2013, he joined Adelaide United in the A-League.
Awer is also a co-founder of a charity called Barefoot to Boots. This charity helps refugees with health, education, and gender equality. It also gives sports equipment to young refugees. In January 2023, Awer was named Young Australian of the Year.
Contents
Awer Mabil's Early Life
Awer Mabil was born on 15 September 1995. His parents were from South Sudan. He was born in Kakuma, Kenya. He lived with his family in the Kakuma Refugee Camp until he was 10 years old. Then, his family moved to Australia and settled in Adelaide.
Awer started playing football in the Kenyan refugee camp when he was about five. He said, "We would just go outside and start kicking around. It was not structured and there was little else to do." They played without shoes and used a rolled-up sock as a football. Awer once said, "I was born in a hut, a little hut. My hotel room here is definitely bigger than the hut, the room we had as a family in that refugee camp."
Mabil went to St Columba College in Adelaide during his teenage years. He finished school there in 2013.
Awer Mabil's Club Career
Youth Teams
Before becoming a professional, Awer played for several youth teams. These included St Augustines, Playford City, and Salisbury East Junior Soccer Club. From 2010 to 2011, he played for the SA NTC.
Playing for Adelaide United
In 2012, Awer made his senior debut for Campbelltown City. He showed great speed and dribbling skills. Later that year, Adelaide United in the A-League signed him.
He played his first senior game for Adelaide United on 11 January 2013. This was against Perth Glory. He scored his first goal for the team in a game against Wellington Phoenix.
Moving to FC Midtjylland
In July 2015, Mabil moved to Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland. He made his debut for them on 16 October 2015. On 22 October 2015, he played his first UEFA Europa League game against Napoli FC.
Awer said that joining FC Midtjylland helped him understand how serious football is. He learned to have a winning mindset. At first, he did not play much. So, the club sent him to other teams on loan to help him improve.
Loan to Esbjerg fB
In August 2016, Mabil was loaned to Esbjerg fB. This was so he could play more games. He made his debut on 8 August 2016. However, he was sent off the field during that game. Esbjerg was later moved down to a lower league.
Loan to Paços de Ferreira
In July 2017, Awer was loaned to Paços de Ferreira in Portugal. He played well there, scoring two goals and helping with three others in 26 league games. Even though the team was moved down a league, Awer made a good impression.
Returning to Midtjylland
Mabil came back to Denmark in 2018 as a more experienced player. He started strong, scoring a goal and helping with two others in his first six games. On 11 November 2018, he scored two goals and set up two more in a 5–0 win. He became an important part of the team.
On 30 September 2020, he helped his team win a game that qualified them for the UEFA Champions League. This was the first time Midtjylland had reached this competition. He scored his first Champions League goal on 25 November that year against Ajax.
Loan to Kasımpaşa
In February 2022, Awer was loaned to Kasımpaşa in Turkey. This happened because he did not want to sign a new contract with Midtjylland after seven years.
Playing for Cádiz
In May 2022, Mabil signed with the Spanish club Cádiz for four seasons. However, he only played six games in his first half-season there.
Loan to Sparta Prague
In January 2023, Awer was loaned to Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic. He played 14 games, scored two goals, and helped with three others. He helped Sparta become the Czech champions.
Joining Grasshoppers
On 21 August 2023, Mabil joined Grasshoppers in Switzerland. He signed a two-year contract. He made his debut on 2 September. On 7 October 2023, he scored two goals and helped with another in a 3–0 win. He was named the best player of that game.
On 9 December 2023, Awer injured his hamstring during a game. This needed surgery and kept him from playing for almost four months. He played 21 games in his first season in Switzerland, scoring four goals and assisting four others.
On 18 August 2024, he had an amazing game in the 2024–25 Swiss Cup. He scored three goals and helped with five others in a 9–0 win. On 26 October 2024, he made a mistake that led to his team losing a game. This was his last game for Grasshoppers. His contract ended on 7 January 2025.
Moving to CD Castellón
On 5 February 2025, Mabil returned to Spain. He signed a contract with Segunda División club CD Castellón until 30 June 2026.
Awer Mabil's International Career
In August 2013, Awer was called up to play for Australia's youth team. This was for a tournament in Spain. He was born in South Sudan, but FIFA allowed him to play for Australia in March 2014. This was after a long process to get his birth certificate and special permission because he was a refugee.
He played for Australia in the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship. He played in all three of their games.
After playing well for FC Midtjylland, Mabil was called up to the senior Australian team, known as the Socceroos.
On 16 October 2018, Awer Mabil made his debut for the Australian senior national team. This was in a friendly game against Kuwait. He came on as a substitute and scored his first goal for Australia in the 88th minute. This helped Australia win 4–0. Awer celebrated his goal with his childhood friend and fellow South Sudanese refugee, Thomas Deng, who was also playing his first game for Australia. Awer dedicated the goal to his mother.
Mabil played in the qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup. In a very important game against Peru, he scored one of the penalties. This goal helped Australia get a spot in the World Cup. He said that scoring this goal was "the only way to say thank you to Australia on behalf of my family."
On 22 September 2022, Mabil scored his first goal in Australia for the national team. This was in a 1–0 win against New Zealand.
Other Activities
Barefoot to Boots Charity
Awer Mabil helped start a charity called Barefoot to Boots. He co-founded it with his older brother, Awer G. Bul, and Ian Smith. The charity aims to improve "health, education, and gender equality" for refugees. Awer has returned to the Kakuma refugee camp with the charity. He wants to promote football and help refugees in other ways.
Awards and Recognition
In 2018, Mabil received the FIFPRO Merit Award. This award is given by the International Federation of Professional Footballers. The award was worth US$25,000, which he donated to his charity.
In June 2022, Awer visited his old school, St Columba College. He was given the 2022 Alumni of the Year Award. This was for his achievements in football and his charity work.
In November 2022, Mabil was named the 2023 Young Australian of the Year for his home state of South Australia. On 25 January 2023, he was named the national Young Australian of the Year.
Personal Life
Awer Mabil's older brother, Awer G. Bul, is a director of the Barefoot to Boots charity. Awer's 19-year-old sister, Bor, sadly died in a car crash in Adelaide in 2018.
He went to school with Thomas Deng, who is also a refugee and plays for the Socceroos.
Honours
Adelaide United
- FFA Cup: 2014
Midtjylland
- Danish Superliga: 2019–20
- Danish Cup: 2018–19
Sparta Prague
- Czech First League: 2022–23
Individual
- National Youth League Player of the Year: 2012–13
- FFA U20 Male Player of the Year: 2014
- Young Australian of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Awer Mabil para niños
