Kusini Yengi is on the lookout for a new club after being released by Portsmouth and the giant striker says he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the injuries he picked up while representing the Socceroos over the last nine months played a role in his exit from the Championship side.
Yengi featured just 14 times for the second-tier strugglers this season, who finished 16th, a reality he describes as “devastating” when chatting with Fox Sports Australia from the team’s training camp in Abu Dhabi.
The search for a new club is ongoing but not a distraction for the 26-year-old as he tries to push his case for selection for two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Japan in Perth and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah over the next fortnight.
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“The team always comes first,” said Yengi.
“When you have a goal to go to the World Cup it’s quite easy to kind of block out external noise.
“My club side is easy to push away and to keep my focus on what I’m doing here with Australia.”
Portsmouth fans grew increasingly frustrated with Yengi’s trips around the globe with the Socceroos; not with the location or the timing, but the fact that after each call-up an injury followed.
He was sidelined with a groin injury soon after arriving back from international duty in September, a knee injury against Bahrain in November saw the forward out for almost four months and a hamstring niggle occurred on a trip to Australia in March.
Kusini Yengi looks on during the Australia Socceroos player training camp at the Ritz Carlton Training Pitch on May 21, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Asked whether that record sealed his fate at Portsmouth Yengi says he “wouldn’t be surprised.”
“They were banking on me coming back and being fit and ready to kick on and help us with our survival in the Championship this year and every time I went away to national team camp; I came back injured.
“I can only imagine how frustrating that was for the fans and for the club and for myself.
“It was devastating. It’s not like I wanted to go away and come back injured.”
The knee injury against Bahrain in November was the strangest of the lot. Yengi dug his knee into the turf just before half-time while chasing a through ball but played out the match and scored a 96th minute equaliser.
“I flew straight back to Portsmouth and my knee had a bit of swelling in it,” he said.
“The message from the club was that you’ll just miss out this game and you’ll be back to play the next one. We’ll just let the swelling settle down.”
A scan revealed more damage than first expected.
“I had a big injury in my knee and was out for quite some time, so it was a bit of a tough pill to swallow.”
Kusini Yengi of Australia heads the ball during the round three 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Bahrain at Robina Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Despite being uncontracted for next season Yengi doesn’t believe the search for a new club is urgent. There’s plenty of interest from “everywhere around the world” according to the forward, but he knows this choice will be crucial with the World Cup just over 12 months away should Australia qualify.
“I’m at an age right now where I need to make sure that this next decision is a good one and I’m able play consistent football,” said Yengi.
“For me I’d love to stay in Europe, but I’m open to everything.”
Yengi’s club fortunes directly tie to the health of one of the most important pieces of the Socceroos selection puzzle heading towards the World Cup. Finding a striker who scores with regularity hasn’t been a luxury the national team has had since Tim Cahill was repurposed in the latter years of his time in international football. Yengi has scored six times in 12-games for the Socceroos, and they look an infinitely more dangerous outfit with him on the pitch.
“I’ve always wanted to fill that void and I’ve been vocal about that, and I think my performances on the pitch and my goalscoring record has reflected that.”
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It’s not just his goals to games ratio that is impressive either. Yengi is “quite a big boy” by his own admission. At 190 centimetres or almost six-foot-three, he is a handful for defenders. Socceroos boss Tony Popovic wants Yengi to use that frame to his advantage more often.
“I’m sometimes a bit of a gentle giant,” Yengi says.
“I’m a bit scared of hurting others but I know the boss probably just wants me to use my body to protect the ball and to hold up the ball better in tight spaces to give the team a bit of a breather in games or use my strength and speed to make more runs and consistently put defences under pressure.”
Pressure does not come any larger than what awaits the Socceroos when they face Japan in Perth next week before flying to Saudi Arabia.
Automatic World Cup qualification is up for grabs with Australia needing anything from a win to a draw from the two games to punch their ticket depending on other results in the group.