Australia’s head coach Graham Arnold has selected 18-year-old forward Garang Kuol despite his lack of professional experience but left veteran goalkeeper Mitch Langerak out of his 26-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup.

Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan and Mathew Leckie were picked for a third World Cup, with Ryan leading the squad in Qatar.

Kuol is among the 17 players selected for a World Cup for the first time. He made just one appearance off the bench in a friendly against New Zealand in September but showed enough potential to convince Arnold he’s a potential star of the future. He scored four goals in his first seven appearances off the bench for the Central Coast Mariners in Australia’s A-League.