🔗 Share this article

Promising prodigy Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the consecutive match in a row, while goalkeeper Paul Izzo delivered a stellar performance to help the Australian national team to a hard-fought 1-0 result over Canada.

Fixture Overview

After a dull opening period controlled by the hosts, the Australian side came to life with the arrival of second-half substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who broke the deadlock in the 71st minute.

Keeper Paul Izzo, selected ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced multiple saves, including a brilliant effort to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute, securing Australia's seventh consecutive victory.

NESTORY IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA AHEAD IN MONTREAL! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Key Moments

• In the third minute, Tajon Buchanan charged into the box, but defender Alessandro Circati executed a perfectly timed tackle to avert the threat.
• Shortly later, Irankunda beat multiple defenders and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected.
• During the opening 45 minutes, the Australians found it difficult to maintain the ball, with Buchanan creating issues on the right flank.
• Despite dominance from the hosts, the organized Socceroos defense held firm, restricting opportunities before the break.

Second Half Shift

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

Substitutions in the 57th minute injected instant impact, with Irankunda capitalizing on a poor pass and finding Toure, who fired wide.

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

During the closing stages, following a scramble in the box, the Australians cleaned up the situation.

Winning Goal

Moments later, Connor Metcalfe sent Toure on the wing, and the striker pulled the ball back into a promising area.

When a Canadian defender dithered, Irankunda slid in from the blind side to tap in his third international strike.

Final Drama

Despite unable to add a another, the Socceroos were rescued by Izzo's late saves.

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

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

Looking Ahead

Having already secured a spot for the upcoming World Cup, the Australian squad are ramping up their readiness with warm-up matches against Canada and the United States, with a fixture set in Colorado next.