Awer Mabil: Kenyan Born Refugee Makes It to Australia’s World Cup Squad

• The Kenyan football fraternity will have 'one of their own' at the FIFA World Cup after Awer Mabil made it to Australia's list
• Kenya has never graced the World Cup and is currently suspended by FIFA from all international competitions
• Mabil, who plays for Cadiz in Spain, was born in Kenya before moving to Australia in 2006

Kenyan football fans have something to celebrate, however little, after a refugee with Kenyan roots made it to Australia's World Cup squad.

Awer Mabil was named in the final 26-man list submitted by Head Coach Graham Arnold ahead of the Qatar showpiece, beginning in less than two weeks. Mabil currently plays for La Liga side Cadiz.

He was born in Kakuma, one of the biggest refugee camps in Kenya, on September 15, 1997. He stayed at the camp till 2006, when the family moved to Australia.

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Mabil was born to South Sudanese parents but could have easily represented Harambee Stars if he wanted to.

A few Kenyans will now watch him keenly, as the Socceroos look to get out of a group with defending champions France, Denmark and Tunisia.

Kenya has never qualified for the World Cup and is currently suspended by the World governing body FIFA. Thus, not even Kenyan match officials will be eligible to officiate at the month-long bonanza.

Before they qualified for Qatar, Mabil - who plays as a winger - famously 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," as quoted by Wikipedia.

Cadiz are currently second from the bottom on the La Liga log.

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Who else made Australia's list?

Sports Brief has also reported that teenage striker Garang Kuol, who recently signed for Newcastle United, was included in Australia's squad for the World Cup, but influential midfielder Tom Rogic missed out.

Japan-based striker Adam Taggart - who has scored six goals in 16 Socceroos appearances - was another surprise omission despite being a stalwart of their qualifying campaign.

That opened the door to the Central Coast Mariners' Kuol, who makes the switch to St James' Park in January.