Australian soccer player
Al Hassan Toure (born 30 May 2000) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for French Ligue 2 club Ajaccio. Born a Liberian refugee in Guinea, he has represented Australia at youth level.
Toure is eligible to represent Australia, Guinea and Liberia at national level. Toure was called up to the Australia national under-23 soccer team squad on 11 November 2019 for a series of friendlies against U-23 teams in Chongqing, China later that month.
Early life
Toure was born on 30 May 2000 in a refugee camp in Conakry, Guinea, the eldest of six children to Amara and Mawa Toure.[1][2][3] Before his birth, his parents originally hailed from Frelah, a town in the Salala District of Liberia and belonged to the Mandingo ethnic group.[2][3] They fled to Guinea during the Second Liberian Civil War, after the war had reached the town on the morning of 23 May 1990. Amara travelled for 18 days on foot before eventually resting in a refugee camp in Conakry where he met Mawa. During their 14 years stay at the camp, Al Hassan and his brother Mohamed were born. The Toures moved to Australia on 26 November 2004, settling in South Australia where Al Hassan's uncle, Ali, was staying. They initially resided on Prospect Rd at Blair Athol before moving to Croydon and then to a three-bedroom home in Clearview, a northern suburb of Adelaide.[2][3]
Growing up in a tight-knit Islamic family in the suburb of Croydon, Al Hassan spent a significant amount of time playing football with his two younger brothers, Mohamed and Musa, both of whom became professional footballers.[2][3] His father, Amara, was Al Hassan's biggest influence, training him from his experiences as a semi-professional in Guinea and Liberia.[4][5] He started his career to professional football with local club Croydon Kings, making his senior debut at the age of 16.[6] His goalscoring idol growing up was Cristiano Ronaldo for his work ethic and leadership on the pitch.[7]
Club career
Adelaide United
On 7 August 2019, Toure made his professional debut against Melbourne Knights in the 2019 FFA Cup, scoring the opening goal as Adelaide won the match 5–2.[8] Soon afterwards, Toure penned a two-year scholarship contract with the club.[9] He continued his scoring form in Adelaide's Round of 16 clash against Olympic FC, with a first-half brace helping Adelaide to a 3–2 win.[10] He scored again in the quarter-finals, pouncing on a Glen Moss error to score his fourth in three games as they beat the Newcastle Jets 1–0.[11] On 23 October 2019, Toure scored the opening goal in Adelaide's 4–0 win over Melbourne City in the 2019 FFA Cup Final,[12] being awarded the Mark Viduka Medal for his performance.[13]
Toure scored his first A-League goal in a Round 1 clash against Sydney FC, slotting home Adelaide's second as they lost 3–2 at Coopers Stadium.[14]
International career
Toure is eligible to represent Guinea, Liberia, and Australia. He was chosen in November 2019 to play for the Australian U23's in a friendly tournament in China, and scored on debut.[15] Toure played a big part in helping the Olyroos qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, scoring a crucial goal against Syria in the Quarter Finals of the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship whilst going on to win the game and eventually going on to qualify a few days later in the 3rd Place Final.
Personal life
Toure was born in Guinea to Liberian parents. He migrated to Australia at the age of 4 years and six months. He has two younger brothers – Mohamed and Musa, who both are professional footballers.[13]
