Match Day 1 of the FFA Cup 2019 Quarter Finals belonged to two young Hyundai A-League strikers ready to stake their claim.
Al Hassan Toure of Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners man Abraham Majok were both the match winners in 1-0 wins over Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners respectively.
The 19-year-old Adelaide striker Toure continued his exceptional rise into first-team football by sending the Reds into the Semi Finals with his fourth goal in three FFA Cup matches.
Toure, a Guinean-Australian, has emerged from nowhere to become the unlikely hero of Adelaide’s quest for a third FFA Cup title, and of Gertjan Verbeek’s early reign as Reds boss.
On Tuesday night, the teenager once again sent Dutchman Verbeek a reminder his talent, showing his predatory instincts to pounce on an error from Newcastle ‘keeper Glen Moss.
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Toure had scored a double against Olympic to book Adelaide their Quarter Final ticket in the Round of 16: and he required just 12 minutes to find the net against Melbourne Knights in the Round of 32, his first start in professional football.
After another impressive showing – this time against Hyundai A-League opposition – Toure will surely have put himself in Verbeek’s thoughts for their Round 1 Season 2019/20 opener against Sydney FC.
Majok – who joined Alen Stajcic’s Mariners from Western Sydney Wanderers in June – will have also done his first team credentials no harm after helping Central Coast past Hume in stoppage time.
It is likely the scrappiest effort the 20-year-old will score all season, but one that should provide the Kenya-born flyer with a huge boost of confidence as he aims to provide competition to club captain Matt Simon and Jordan Murray for a role leading Stajcic’s Gosford revolution.
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