Football All The Way
Yohana Nyok, Australia
Yohana Nyok is originally from South Sudan and plays football with the Melbourne Victory FC holiday program.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your personal story and your football life?
My name is Yohana Nyok, and I am from South Sudan. We came to Australia in 2006. We lived in a refugee camp before we came to Australia - it was hard there because there were lots of people and not a lot of food to go around.
I didn’t play football before I came to Australia. I had older brothers that played football when we were in Sudan and Egypt.
We left our country due to war. If it wasn’t for our mum, we would have lost everything. We moved from Sudan to Egypt so we could get away from the war. We left our dad, so he could make money in Sudan and then send it to us. When we gathered enough money, he sent us to Australia. Four years later he came to Australia - that was one of the best days of my life.
In the future I want to get a good job that will help me support my family.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
The photos were taken at a tournament held by Melbourne Victory FC. There were many teams there but all of us knew each other.
I took photos when the game got intense. My favourite photo was from the penalty shoot-out - Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City. It was our last chance for Melbourne Victory to get into the finals. Although we lost it didn’t change that we had a good day.
Can you tell us the personal story of anyone else in the photographs?
Ringo Ngorwol also lived with me in the refugee camp. They got accepted to Australia first, but we still met up when we came to Australia. Ringo currently plays in the National Premier League, one of the highest leagues for kids our age. He is trying to get a trial for an A-League team like Western United or Melbourne Victory.
Why is football important to you and your community?
Football means everything to me. I might not be the best player, but I still enjoy kicking the ball with my friends. There’s lots of opportunities for girls too – there are programs and academies for girls. I also support Manchester City, allll the wayyy.
Do you play football now with any Australian people? How do you find the Australian people?
I like playing with Australian people. When I played for North Sunshine, they made everyone feel welcome to the team.
What role has Melbourne Victory and their football programmes played in your life in Australia?
Without the Melbourne Victory program, I don’t know what I would be doing during the holidays. They have created a program for young kids where we train, play tournaments, and even go on excursions, all in the matter of 5 days!
