🔗 Share this article The teenage star Earns Victory for Australia in Heated Friendly Match with Canada Emerging sensation Nestory Irankunda scored for the consecutive fixture in a row, while goalkeeper Paul Izzo delivered a outstanding display to lead the Australian national team to a narrow 1-0 victory over Canada. Fixture Breakdown After a slow opening period controlled by the hosts, the Socceroos improved with the arrival of late substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who scored the decider in the 71st minute. Keeper Paul Izzo, selected in place of skipper Maty Ryan, produced multiple saves, including a world-class intervention to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the dying moments, ensuring Australia's seventh consecutive victory. NESTOR IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA IN FRONT IN CANADA! 🔥🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺 Notable Highlights During the third minute, Tajon Buchanan burst into the box, but captain Alessandro Circati made a well-timed tackle to avert the threat. Shortly later, Irankunda dribbled past multiple opponents and passed to Max Balard, whose attempt was deflected. During the first half, the Australians found it difficult to maintain the ball, with Buchanan creating problems on the right flank. Despite dominance from the hosts, the organized Australian backline stood strong, restricting opportunities before the break. Post-Interval Improvement Two minutes into the second period, Irankunda embarked on a wonderful dribble, evading Derek Cornelius and firing the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure scuffed his shot. Substitutions in the 57th minute injected instant energy, with Irankunda pouncing on a poor clearance and setting up Toure, who fired wide. Later, Miller sent in a lovely ball to Yazbek, who backheeled toward Circati, but the skipper shot over the bar. During the closing stages, after a pinball situation in the box, the Socceroos cleaned up the situation. Winning Goal Moments later, Connor Metcalfe released Toure on the right, and the striker pulled the ball back into a dangerous zone. As a Canadian player dithered, Irankunda sneaked in from the unmarked position to tap in his third international strike. Late Action Although unable to add a second goal, the Socceroos were saved by Izzo's last-minute saves. Tempers flared in injury-time, leading to Irankunda receiving a booking and being substituted amid a scuffle. During a heated conclusion, the Socceroos defense and Izzo held firm to secure the result. Looking Ahead With already secured a spot for the upcoming global tournament, the Australian squad are ramping up their readiness with warm-up matches against North American opponents and the United States, with a game set in Colorado next.