Nestory Irankunda Delivers Win for the Socceroos in Heated Friendly Match with the Canadian side

Emerging talent Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the consecutive match in a row, while shot-stopper Paul Izzo produced a outstanding performance to lead the Australian national team to a narrow 1-0 victory over Canada.

Match Breakdown

Following a dull opening period controlled by the Canadian team, the Australian side found their rhythm with the entry of second-half substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who broke the deadlock in the second half.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced multiple saves, including a brilliant intervention to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, ensuring Australia's seventh consecutive win.

NESTORY IRANKUNDA PUTS US IN FRONT IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Notable Moments

• During the early stages, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but captain Alessandro Circati made a well-timed challenge to avert the danger.
• Eight minutes later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple opponents and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected.
• During the opening 45 minutes, the Australians struggled to keep the ball, with Buchanan causing problems on the right flank.
• Even with dominance from the hosts, the organized Socceroos defense stood strong, limiting opportunities before the break.

Second Half Turnaround

Early into the second half, Irankunda went on a impressive run, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the near post, where Mohamed Toure scuffed his shot.

Changes in the 57th minute injected immediate impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a poor pass and setting up Toure, who shot wide.

Later, Miller sent in a lovely ball to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the skipper shot over the bar.

During the closing stages, after a pinball situation in the defensive area, the Socceroos cleaned up the situation.

Decisive Goal

Soon after, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the right, and the forward cut the ball back into a promising zone.

When a opposition player hesitated, Irankunda sneaked in from the blind side to tap in his third strike.

Final Action

Although unable to add a another, the Socceroos were rescued by Izzo's last-minute saves.

Tempers boiled over in injury-time, resulting in Irankunda receiving a yellow card and taken off amid a scuffle.

During a heated final few minutes, the Socceroos defense and Izzo stood their ground to secure the result.

Looking Ahead

With already qualified for the next global tournament, the Australian squad are intensifying their readiness with warm-up matches against Canada and the United States, with a game scheduled in Colorado on Wednesday.