- Captain Kerr scores five to break national goalscoring tally with 54, record was previously held by former men’s international Tim Cahill
- ‘I definitely thought about that before the game about how special it will be for my family’, says Kerr after securing milestone in birthplace of India
Australia women’s captain Sam Kerr was mobbed by excited Indonesian players despite them suffering an 18-0 demolition in their AFC Asian Cup group opener in Mumbai.
The Matildas forward scored a whopping five goals against Garuda Pertiwi, bringing her national goalscoring tally to 54, surpassing former men’s international Tim Cahill’s record of 50.
It did not take long for the Indonesian contingent to huddle around the Chelsea FC star and Balon d’Or nominee for selfies and autographs after Friday’s game, as seen in a wholesome photo posted by the Australian national team’s social media platforms.
Kerr said it was an “amazing honour” to become the country’s leading scorer. The 28-year-old was one of the eight players to score in the victory, which was Australia’s biggest-ever in the competition.
“Obviously Tim is a legend in Australia so to be in the same conversation as him is an amazing honour,” Kerr said. “But any time I score for my country, it’s an amazing honour.
“I didn’t have many so I don’t take any goal for granted … breaking the record is amazing and it’s something I will remember forever.”
Kerr, whose father was born in Kolkata, India to an English father and an Indian mother, said breaking the record in India made the achievement extra special.
“I definitely thought about that before the game about how special it will be for my family. It’s my first time playing here in India,” Kerr said.
“It’s special to break the record and a bit more special doing it here and in the Asian Cup, which is a really important tournament to me.”
Cahill congratulated Kerr, describing the Chelsea forward as an “inspiration”.
“You are an inspiration globally and I’m one of your biggest supporters and always here for you on and off the park,” Cahill tweeted. “Keep breaking records and most importantly enjoy the journey.”
Australia, joint-favourites along with defending champions Japan, face the Philippines in Monday’s group game, which also doubles up as a qualifying event for the 2023 World Cup.
