David Norris says Kusini Yengi ‘on a different planet’ after what he recently said at Portsmouth
David Norris says Portsmouth man Kusini Yengi must get his head down after comments about the Championship, despite so far failing to score.
Yengi told The News [13 November] before international duty that he has faced bigger challenges in League One than in recent matches, but remains without a goal at this level.
The 25-year-old has this week returned to Australia to join up with his national side, after serving a three-match ban from the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking exclusively to Pompey News, Norris admitted: “It’s not an ideal thing to come out and start saying, he must know when he hasn’t scored, been injured and been in a struggling team – unless he’s on a different planet.
“To come out with the opposite will get people’s backs up. He needs to just get his head down because he has the attributes as a player.
“Colby Bishop will have the stamp on the number nine shirt, which could see a sidestep for Yengi.”
Kusini Yengi faces battle for minutes at Portsmouth
Upon the return of Bishop last weekend – who has now already outscored Yengi in the space of 12 minutes, albeit with a penalty – the Socceroos frontman faces a fight for his place.
Mark O’Mahony and Elias Sorensen are also fighting to play in a system under John Mousinho where a lone striker is preferred; Yengi has previously featured out wide, but Pompey are well-stocked with wingers.
Yengi has endured a stop-start campaign so far, previously sidelined by a bothersome groin injury.
In other Portsmouth news, Mousinho has been defended after a sluggish campaign so far.
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