This 16-Year-Old Australian Prodigy is Taking the A-League By Storm… But is it All Hype?

This 16-Year-Old Australian Prodigy is Taking the A-League By Storm… But is it All Hype?

As the players emerged from the tunnel to a cacophony of noise and prepared to face the battle of a Sydney derby in the A-League on January 31st, there was a notable inclusion in the Sydney FC side that had most confused but intrigued.

The attention was focused on the Sydney right flank, where, alongside usual suspects like Victor Campuzano, was 16-year-old starboy Akol Akon.

The game marked Akon's first start in his professional career and just the seventh appearance of the season – leaving many cautious that he was being thrown into such a prestigious game with bragging rights on the line.

But it wouldn't be long before that uncertainty would dissipate. In the 9th minute, following an early Ryan Fraser goal for the visitors, Akon would slip through Campuzano, who raced towards goal and slipped the ball through the legs of the onrushing goalkeeper – an impact inside 10 minutes in his full debut.

Akon would again be involved in the action in the 55th minute, where he gained his second assist of the game after driving into the box and finding Tiago Quintal, whose quick feet allowed him an effort on goal which he finished off via a deflection.

Two assists on his full debut were more than many had expected, but Akon wasn't done there. In the 68th minute, the youngster tenaciously stumbled through a couple of Western Sydney challenges and laid off to Tiago Quintal again, who saw another deflected strike find the net to make it 4-1.

Who is Akol Akon?

Interestingly enough, Akon was initially in the academy of the team he made his emphatic debut against and Sydney FC's biggest rivals, Western Sydney Wanderers.

But, having failed to grant Akon's wish of beginning his journey with the first team, the sky blue side of Sydney took advantage and swooped in to take one of Australia's most highly regarded talents from their bitter rivals.

Akol Akon with a hat-trick of assists on his first-ever A-League start for Sydney FC.

Just 16 years old.

One of the most exciting talents Australia has produced in recent years. 🇦🇺💎 pic.twitter.com/7ej5vf0e5e

— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) February 2, 2026

Akon quickly established himself in the first-team picture, impressing boss Ufuk Talay in training and gaining what has developed into a multitude of appearances this season.

In that time, the 16-year-old has shown glimpses of exactly why Sydney took a punt on him when no one else would.

He is still raw, as you'd expect at 16, and needs some years of development to really blossom into the player he can be – but his raw athleticism, strength and technical ability have informed his meteoric rise into the radar of some of Europe's top clubs.

Why Caution is Needed

Now, it's all well and good talking about how good Akon is at 16, but for both his and the footballing world's sake, it's worth approaching his career with some caution.

We have seen what can happen with Australian talents when pushed too hard, too soon in the past – and we can't let that happen with Akol Akon too.

🚨💣NEW: Akol Akon (16) is attracting interest from the Premier league, Germany and USA! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚡️🇩🇪

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/7nLmKN9RtC

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) February 5, 2026

Garang Kuol moved to Newcastle United at 18 years of age, only to fade to obscurity following a couple of massively underwhelming loans, and now finds himself warming the bench on a weekly basis at Sparta Prague.

Albeit still just 21, the excitement around what Kuol's career could look like has almost entirely disappeared in the space of just three years.

Nestory Irankunda moved to German giants Bayern Munich at just 17 years of age after impressing at Adelaide United, only to never make a first-team appearance and now be shipped off to the Championship with Watford, where he, similarly to Kuol, spends most of his time as a bit-part player.

Irankunda is also still young at just 20 years old and is considered to have a much better chance of still making it big in the professional game – but even still, the sentiment is still the same.

That is two players, both tipped for big things, who have struggled to live up to the immense pressure put on them to succeed.

The pressure is understandable, given the absence of talent Australia has succumbed to in recent football history. The nation is desperate to have someone flying their flag on the world's stage, and therefore the first sign of a player who may be able to provide that is worshipped like a god.

But with Akol, I implore that not to be the case.

Allow the youngster to develop at his own pace and carve a path forged from hard work and dedication rather than pure hype and expectation – and Australia may well have its next big star much sooner than you think.