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One of the most beautiful moments of the Socceroos’ 2-0 victory against Turkiye in their World Cup opener in Vancouver on Sunday was assistant coach Paul Okon in tears when Connor Metcalfe scored Australia’s second goal.
There are so many reasons why it was such an emotional moment for the 54-year-old.
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Firstly, his son Paul Okon-Engstler had played a key role after being a surprise starter.
The 21-year-old Sydney FC midfielder assisted Nestory Irankunda’s opening goal and played with composure beyond his years in the middle of the park.
“After the first goal I ran over to the bench to celebrate with them and he was obviously there and I could see the emotion on his face and that really touched me,” Okon-Englster told reporters post-game.
“Straight after I had to get on with the game and had to focus on the rest of the game but I think yeah it was a nice memory for us and a memory that I’ll cherish.”
With the emotion flowing, it is little wonder why the senior Okon gave Socceroos boss Tony Popovic a huge hug on the touchline when Metcalfe’s goal went in and Australia edged closer to victory.
“Paolo’s passionate, he’s emotional,” Popovic said.
“For me, playing his son, it’s special. I play him because he deserves to play. I love the kid. I’ve loved him since what, twelve months ago when I first brought him in. I knew there was a special talent there and then he proved it today.
“I had just a special moment with two close friends, embracing and just understanding what’s just happened and proud for his boy but also proud for us that we’ve managed to do something special together here at the World Cup by winning this game.”
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If seeing his child shine on the world stage was not meaningful enough, Okon’s own relationship with the World Cup and the Socceroos also tugs at the heart strings.
Okon played 28 times for the national team.
It would have been more if not for injuries and Australia’s quadrennial World Cup qualification heartbreak.
The defender was part of the Australian team that made it to the bronze medal match at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as well as the semi-finals of the Youth World Cup a year prior.
But at senior level his World Cup dream was never fulfilled.
Okon was captain when the Socceroos suffered the heartbreak of losing an intercontinental playoff to Uruguay in 2001 – where a hostile reception in Montevideo contributed to the South American nation’s 3-0 victory.
Okon would not be there when Guus Hiddink’s side extracted revenge four years later and ended the nation’s 32-year World Cup drought.
He played in Serie A and the English Premier League, but did not achieve the pinnacle of international football as a player.
Regardless, his dreams came true in Vancouver.
“To do it now as a staff, as an assistant coach, is, I guess, probably for me also a dream come true,” he said.
“So, really happy to experience it. We honestly feel there is more to come from this team.”
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Plenty of players will have spoken to their fathers before their World Cup debut.
Such a conversation brimming with excitement and nerves takes on a different lens when the parent is part of the coaching staff, however.
Okon did his best to make sure it was nothing out of the ordinary before kick off.
“My chat with him would have been like the chat with any other player in the team and that was you’ve got a job to do. Make sure you do it and we have full confidence in your ability,” he told SBS.
“Now’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, for a long time, it’s what you’ve dream of. So, we as a coaching staff, and yeah I just happen to be his father, we were super confident that he could execute what we needed for this game.”
Okon-Englster played with the freedom of youth, but admitted post-game that history was on his mind.
“Yeah I obviously know the history of our country and how we struggled for a couple of years in World Cups and how we weren’t able to qualify,” he told SBS.
“But yeah obviously so happy that I’m able to now participate in the World Cup and to do something that obviously my father wasn’t able to.
“Just stoked and so happy that we were able to get three points today.”
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Unsurprisingly at just 21 years of age, Okon-Engstler rated it as the “best moment so far in my career”.
“Obviously it’s a dream come true to be able to participate in a World Cup and to start my first game and just … the way we won that game and the way we defended and we fought as a team was just so special,” he continued.
“I think that this group has so much more left to show.”
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As for his assist, he revealed post-game that the long pass over the back of the defence was something that he and Irankunda had been cooking up in training leading up to their tournament opener.
“I know Nestor’s capabilities and his strengths,” he said.
“He’s running in behind with his speed and yeah, obviously we practised that the whole week just looking up and trying to play balls in behind, for Mo and for Nestor especially.
“I just saw the opportunity to do it and I tried to execute it to the best of my ability and it was just great that I was able to set up the goal for Nestor.”
