Kuku joined the Wanderers’ youth set-up in 2014 and worked his way up through the club’s ranks. But unable to break through into the senior team, he moved to America to take up a full athletic scholarship at Eastern Florida State College in 2018.
The 21-year-old is studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science while honing his football skills in Brevard County. Last year Kuku was selected in the NJCAA Division I All-American team and helped his university reach the final of the national championship tournament.
He is enjoying his experience in America and is targeting a future professional career, either in the US or in Europe.
“I was at Western Sydney for four years and when Tony Popovic was there I was training with the first-team, I got to play in a few friendlies,” the 21-year-old told The World Game.
“But the second Poppa left, the club basically went to s***. A new coach (Josep Gombau) came in and he got sacked.
“Then another new coach (Markus Babbel) came in and you basically have to keep starting all over again, all over and over again.
"When Gombau came most of us young boys thought we were going to get our chance, as he was the Under-20s Australia coach.
“So we thought he’d like the youth boys, but none of us - and that’s the year we won the Y-League - none of us got called up. Since then it’s been 'let’s try and find something else'.
“It was frustrating I didn’t get my chance, so I left. They were telling me to stay, wait for the new coach to come in, but I was just over it so I wanted to try something else.
“America was there so I took that opportunity. The football is a bit different to back home, back home it’s a bit more tactical.
“Here they care more about physique, strength and speed, but the tactical stuff is here as well. Here they depend on being more physical, being able to run, match other people in your position.
“[But] it’s pretty good. I think it’s just a different lifestyle. I’m enjoying it here, even more than back home.
“You learn different aspects of the game. Everyone plays differently over here, so it’s been good.”
After Popovic’s departure from Western Sydney in 2017 the club has gone through four head coaches in Hayden Foxe, Josep Gombau, Markus Babbel and Jean-Paul de Marigny. The Wanderers have not made the A-League finals since Popovic’s exit.
Kuku says he gets assistance managing football with his studies at Eastern Florida State, and the new surroundings have helped expand his football IQ.
“The university is pretty good but I was out of school for a bit,” he said. “Then I came over here, so basically I was starting all over again.
"I had to get used to all this schoolwork again. But they’ve helped me along, so I can’t complain.
“We train every day and you manage it with school, but they help you with that. Back home it was hard for me.
“I tried to do that back home – play and study, but it was hard. I was with the National Youth League team and we would train in the morning, then sometimes it would change, or if you get called to train with the first-team then you can’t go to class.
"But here it’s always the same, so you can manage it and balance it.”
Born in Egypt to Sudanese parents, Kuku moved to Australia as a child. The centre-back or defensive midfielder grew up in Liverpool, in Sydney’s south-west, and started playing football with friends in a local park.
He joined amateur club Hinchinbrook True Blues, before moving on to Mounties Wanderers and then Bankstown City Lions.
“I went to Bankstown City Lions in the Under-18s before going to Western Sydney Wanderers,” Kuku explained.
“I was training with the first-team there as a 17-year-old, playing with them and then Trevor Morgan picked me up from there.”
Kuku has two years of his degree left and this year will switch to Seattle University to finish his studies. In 2019 the defender spent time in Europe and almost sealed a switch to the Cypriot First Division.
“I went there last summer and trialed with two teams, and got an offer to stay,” he said.
“But I just wanted to finish off here first. At least then I have something to fall back on, I want to finish this degree first and see how it is here.”
Kuku harbours ambitions to either ply his trade in Major League Soccer (MLS) or in Europe. Each January the MLS holds its SuperDraft which selects the best players from the college system to turn professional.
“The plan is to play here, but also I want to try and go to Europe because that’s where it’s all at,” he said.
“So hopefully one of them, but if I get the opportunity I’m more than happy to stay and play here.
