A 12-year-old Brisbane boy has been hailed a lucky charm in China after giving goalkeeper Wang Dalei a tip that allowed the country to win against Saudi Arabia. Stephen White’s sage advice made it possible for the Chinese team to advance towards the semi-finals at the Asian Cup.

On Saturday, White, a junior goalkeeper, was on ball boy duty during game between China and Saudi Arabia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane when Dalei asked him which direction he should dive into to save the 59th-minute spot-kick Naif Hazazi would deliver. He told Dalei to dive to his left, a crucial advice which the custodian took.

Dalei was able to intercept the ball, keeping out the penalty and securing a 1-0 victory from China. He celebrated his victory with his team, then went back to the youngster to thank him for his indispensable tip.

“He celebrated with the team, but in the end he came and gave me a hug,” White told reporters later on. “I felt pretty special.”

China also thinks he is special. White became an overnight sensation for helping the nation’s team win. He was then invited to china’s training session at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre on Monday.

Apart from the game-winning advice, White also gave Dalei a gift for his birthday, a stuffed kangaroo. In return, the grateful goalkeeper gave the boy a t-shirt he signed for him.

“China is now my second team at the tournament after the Socceroos,” White, who is set to be a Year 7 Gap High School student, told Fox Sports. He will be back on ball boy duty on Saturday for Australia’s game against South Korea. He added that if Socceroos keeper Mat Ryan asked him for advice just as Dalei did, he would be happy to provide him with another goal-winning guidance.

YouTube/Fox Sports