The teenage star Secures Win for Australia in Intense Exhibition Match with Canada

Emerging prodigy Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the second fixture in a row, as goalkeeper Paul Izzo delivered a stellar display to guide the Australian national team to a hard-fought 1-0 result over Canada.

Game Breakdown

Following a slow opening period controlled by the hosts, the Australian side improved with the arrival of second-half replacements Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who broke the deadlock in the 71st minute.

Keeper Paul Izzo, selected ahead of captain Maty Ryan, made key saves, including a spectacular intervention to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute, securing Australia's seventh-straight win.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA PUTS US AHEAD IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Moments

• During the early stages, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but defender Alessandro Circati made a perfectly timed tackle to clear the danger.
• Shortly later, Irankunda beat two defenders and set up Max Balard, whose attempt was blocked.
• During the opening 45 minutes, the Australians found it difficult to maintain the ball, with Buchanan causing problems on the wing.
• Even with dominance from Canada, the disciplined Socceroos defense stood strong, limiting chances before the break.

Post-Interval Turnaround

Early into the second period, Irankunda embarked on a wonderful dribble, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his attempt.

Changes in the 57th minute brought instant energy, with Irankunda pouncing on a deflected clearance and finding Toure, who shot wide.

Soon after, Miller delivered a lovely ball to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the captain shot over the bar.

During the closing stages, after a scramble in the box, the Socceroos cleared the situation.

Decisive Goal

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

When a Canadian defender hesitated, Irankunda sneaked in from the unmarked position to tap in his third goal.

Late Drama

Although failing to add a second goal, the team were rescued by Izzo's late heroics.

Emotions flared in stoppage time, resulting in Irankunda receiving a yellow card and being substituted amid a fracas.

In a heated conclusion, the Australian backline and Izzo held firm to secure the win.

Next Steps

Having already qualified for the upcoming global tournament, the Australian squad are ramping up their preparation with warm-up matches against North American opponents and the USA, with a fixture scheduled in Colorado on Wednesday.