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Promising prodigy Nestory Irankunda netted for the second fixture in a row, while goalkeeper Paul Izzo produced a outstanding performance to lead the Australian national team to a hard-fought 1-0 result over Canada.

Game Summary

After a dull first half dominated by the hosts, the Socceroos came to life with the entry of late substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. Ultimately, Irankunda who scored the decider in the 71st minute.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, selected ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, produced multiple stops, featuring a spectacular effort to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute, ensuring Australia's seventh-straight victory.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA PUTS AUSTRALIA AHEAD IN CANADA! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Notable Highlights

• During the third minute, Tajon Buchanan burst into the box, but defender Alessandro Circati made a perfectly timed tackle to avert the threat.
• Eight minutes later, Irankunda dribbled past two opponents and set up Max Balard, whose shot was deflected.
• Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Australians found it difficult to keep the ball, with Buchanan creating issues on the right flank.
• Even with dominance from the hosts, the disciplined Australian backline held firm, limiting chances before the halftime.

Second Half Turnaround

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

Changes in the second half brought immediate impact, with Irankunda pouncing on a poor clearance and setting up Toure, who fired wide.

Soon after, Miller sent in a lovely ball to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the captain blasted over the bar.

During the 70th minute, following a pinball situation in the defensive area, the Australians cleaned up the danger.

Decisive Moment

Soon after, Connor Metcalfe sent Toure on the wing, and the forward pulled the ball back into a promising area.

As a Canadian defender dithered, Irankunda sneaked in from the blind side to tap in his third strike.

Late Action

Despite unable to score a another, the team were rescued by Izzo's last-minute heroics.

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

In a spiteful conclusion, the Socceroos backline and Izzo held firm to secure the win.

Next Steps

With now secured a spot for the next global tournament, the Socceroos are ramping up their preparation with warm-up matches against North American opponents and the USA, with a fixture set in Colorado on Wednesday.