Months after inserting a decisive penalty in a kick out to relief Australia qualify, Socceroo’s star and a former refugee Awer Mabil who recently played in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has been named the Young Australian of the Year.

Mabil, 27, was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to South Sudanese parents before moving to Australia as a five-year-old due civil war.

The family survived on one meal a day, and he used to pay $1 a time to watch football on TV.

He moved to Australia as part of a humanitarian program in 2006 and quickly excelled at football, signing for Adelaide United at 16

A crucial penalty he notched against Peru helped get Australia to the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Today, the soccer star has become one of the nations’ top footballers.

But it was his work in helping “enlighten” the lives of other refugees that won him the title.

He set up his own non-profit organization, ‘Barefoot to Boots’, to help other refugees in camps like the one he grew up in to get into the sport.

He has personally delivered jerseys and other sports gear to the kids.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson called Mabil a “role model”.

“On behalf of Football Australia and the Australian football family, I want to congratulate Awer on being named the 2023 Young Australian of the Year,” he said.

“Awer’s contribution to Australian football as an immensely talented and popular member of the Subway Socceroo, and to society at large through his charity work, is a testament to the person and role model that he is.”

His mother, collected the award on his behalf as he now plays in Europe, for Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic.