Valentino Yuel
Valentino Kuach Yuel is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern District. Born in Kenya and raised in Australia, he plays for the South Sudan national team.
Early life
Valentino Kuach Yuel was born on 12 October 1994 in Kakuma, Kenya, the son of South Sudanese refugees. His early years were spent in refugee camps, before his parents were able to migrate to Australia, where they settled in Adelaide, South Australia, along with his six siblings.Yuel was 10 years old upon arrival in Adelaide, and was unable to speak English at first, but started attending school in Adelaide and soon became fluent.
He first played for a local community club, the Plympton Bulldogs, in the southern Adelaide suburb of Plympton Park.
Club career
Yuel had his senior debut at the Adelaide Comets aged 16, and then played for a number of teams in NPL South Australia.Western United
Yuel was signed by new club Western United ahead of the 2019–20 A-League. He left the club at the end of the 2019–20 season.Newcastle Jets
Following 2.5 months without a club, including a trial period, Yuel joined Newcastle Jets on a two-year contract.After not scoring for Western United in 9 appearances for the club, Yuel looked to prove himself in the A-League with Newcastle Jets. Yuel started strong, scoring 3 goals in 3 matches, however Yuel was kept to 1 goal in 8 matches as the Newcastle Jets set a club record, equalling 6 consecutive losses.
Aluminium Arak
On 7 August 2022, Yuel announced on his Instagram page that he had signed for Aluminium Arak, who play in the Persian Gulf League. During his time there, he became caught up in the Mahsa Amini protests for women's rights.Umm Salal
He then had a few months with Umm Salal in Qatar, but the coach was sacked a few weeks after his arrival, and the foreign players gradually left.Western Sydney Wanderers
Returning to Australia, Yuel joined A-League team Western Sydney Wanderers, where he played for a season in 2022–23.FC Nasaf
In 2024 he played for Uzbekistan Champions League team FC Nasaf.Al Murooj
Yuel then moved to Libya, where he joined Al Murooj.Eastern District
On 25 October 2025, Yuel joined Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern District.International career
On 8 June 2021, it was announced that Yuel had accepted a call-up to the South Sudan national team. He made his debut on 31 January 2022, scoring the only goal in a 2–1 loss to Jordan.Career statistics
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 31 January 2022 | The Sevens Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 14 June 2023 | Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia, Egypt | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 3. | 10 September 2024 | Juba Stadium, Juba, South Sudan | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |