🔗 Share this article The teenage star Secures Triumph for Australia in Intense Friendly Match with Canada Emerging talent Nestory Irankunda scored for the consecutive game in a row, while shot-stopper Paul Izzo put in a stellar display to lead the Australian national team to a narrow 1-0 victory over Canada. Match Summary After a slow opening period controlled by the hosts, the Socceroos improved with the introduction of second-half replacements Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who scored the decider in the 71st minute. Keeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of skipper Maty Ryan, made key saves, including a world-class intervention to stop Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, securing Australia's seventh consecutive victory. NESTOR IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA IN FRONT IN CANADA! 🔥🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺 Notable Actions During the early stages, Tajon Buchanan burst into the penalty area, but defender Alessandro Circati made a perfectly timed tackle to clear the threat. Eight minutes later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple opponents and set up Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected. Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Socceroos found it difficult to keep possession, with Buchanan causing problems on the wing. Despite dominance from Canada, the organized Socceroos defense held firm, limiting chances before the break. Post-Interval Shift Early into the second half, Irankunda embarked on a wonderful run, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the near post, where Mohamed Toure missed his attempt. Changes in the second half brought immediate impact, with Irankunda pouncing on a deflected pass and finding Toure, who fired off target. Soon after, Miller delivered a lovely cross to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the captain blasted high. During the closing stages, after a pinball situation in the defensive area, the Socceroos cleaned up the situation. Decisive Moment Soon after, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the right, and the striker pulled the ball back into a dangerous area. As a Canadian player hesitated, Irankunda slid in from the blind side to score his third goal. Late Drama Despite failing to add a second goal, the team were rescued by Izzo's late heroics. Tempers flared in injury-time, resulting in Irankunda getting a booking and taken off amid a fracas. In a spiteful final few minutes, the Socceroos backline and Izzo held firm to secure the win. Next Steps Having now qualified for the next World Cup, the Socceroos are ramping up their readiness with warm-up matches against Canada and the USA, with a fixture scheduled in Colorado on Wednesday.