Nestory Irankunda Delivers Victory for Australia in Fiery Friendly Encounter with Canada

Promising talent Nestory Irankunda scored for the second match in a row, while shot-stopper Paul Izzo produced a outstanding performance to guide the Socceroos to a tight 1-0 result over Canada.

Fixture Overview

After a slow first half dominated by the Canadian team, the Australian side came to life with the entry of late substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who made the difference in the second half.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, selected ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced multiple stops, featuring a spectacular effort to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, securing Australia's seventh-straight win.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA AHEAD IN CANADA! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Moments

• In the early stages, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but defender Alessandro Circati executed a perfectly timed challenge to clear the danger.
• Shortly later, Irankunda beat multiple opponents and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected.
• During the first half, the Australians struggled to maintain possession, with Buchanan creating problems on the wing.
• Even with pressure from the hosts, the organized Socceroos defense held firm, restricting opportunities before the halftime.

Post-Interval Turnaround

Two minutes into the second period, Irankunda went on a impressive run, beating Derek Cornelius and driving the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his attempt.

Substitutions in the second half injected immediate impact, with Irankunda pouncing on a poor clearance and setting up Toure, who fired off target.

Soon after, Miller delivered a precise cross to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the skipper blasted over the bar.

In the closing stages, after a scramble in the defensive area, the Socceroos cleaned up the danger.

Winning Moment

Moments later, Connor Metcalfe sent Toure on the right, and the striker cut the ball back into a dangerous area.

As a opposition player dithered, Irankunda sneaked in from the unmarked position to score his third strike.

Final Drama

Despite unable to score a second goal, the Socceroos were rescued by Izzo's late heroics.

Tempers boiled over in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda getting a booking and taken off amid a scuffle.

In a heated final few minutes, the Socceroos defense and Izzo held firm to seal the win.

Looking Ahead

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