Sydney FC stars Al-Hassan Toure, Paul Okon Jr, and Piero Quispe have all been called up for international duty following Sunday afternoon’s home clash with Macarthur FC at Leichhardt Oval, and on the back of the Sky Blues’ impressive start to the A-League Men’s season.
For Toure, the call-up represents a major milestone — his first selection for the Socceroos — capping a remarkable week after his match-winning hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Newcastle Jets last Saturday night. The in-form forward will join his brother Mo Toure in the national squad.
Paul Okon Jr has also been selected for the upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Venezuela in the USA, having previously been part of the June World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Japan. The young midfielder will be hoping to make his senior international debut.
Meanwhile, Peruvian international Piero Quispe has been recalled to the Peru national team for their friendly clash in Russia, continuing his strong start to life in Sky Blue since joining the club.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be called up to the Socceroos for the first time,” said Al-Hassan Toure.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. I have to thank Sydney FC, the coaching staff, and all my teammates for the way they’ve helped me develop and play with confidence.
“It’s been a great start to the season, and I can’t wait to join the national team and keep improving.”
Young midfielder Paul Okon Jr who was named as Player of the Match in the Sky Blues last home clash against Central Coast Mariners said he was proud.
“It’s always an honour to be called up to represent your country and being at a club like Sydney FC has really helped me reach this point,” he said.
“It’s given me recognition and the opportunity to perform that comes from my teammates and coaching staff, and from how well we’ve been performing this season, especially after all the hard work we put in during pre-season.
“I’m truly grateful, and I can’t wait to join the national team camp.”
Sydney FC Head Coach Ufuk Talay said he was delighted the players form had received this recognition.
“I’m extremely proud of all three of them,” he said.
“Al-Hassan has been in great form, and this call-up is fully deserved. Paul has been excellent too — his maturity and consistency have stood out — and Piero has brought real quality and professionalism from day one.
“These selections show that when players perform for Sydney FC, they get noticed at international level.”
The trio will link up with their respective national teams on Monday following Sunday’s cross-town clash with Macarthur FC.
