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Emerging talent Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net for the consecutive fixture in a row, while goalkeeper Paul Izzo delivered a outstanding display to lead the Socceroos to a tight 1-0 result over Canada.

Fixture Breakdown

After a dull first half dominated by the Canadian team, the Australian side improved with the entry of late replacements Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller, and Patrick Yazbek. It was Irankunda who broke the deadlock in the second half.

Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, selected in place of captain Maty Ryan, produced multiple saves, including a spectacular intervention to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute, ensuring Australia's seventh-straight victory.

NESTOR IRANKUNDA SCORES AUSTRALIA IN FRONT IN CANADA! 🔥

🇨🇦 0 - 1 🇦🇺

Notable Highlights

• In the third minute, Tajon Buchanan charged into the penalty area, but defender Alessandro Circati executed a well-timed tackle to clear the threat.
• Shortly later, Irankunda beat multiple defenders and passed to Max Balard, whose shot was blocked.
• Throughout the first half, the Australians found it difficult to maintain the ball, with Buchanan creating issues on the wing.
• Even with dominance from the hosts, the organized Socceroos backline held firm, restricting chances before the halftime.

Second Half Turnaround

Two minutes into the second period, Irankunda went on a wonderful run, evading Derek Cornelius and driving the ball toward the goal, where Mohamed Toure missed his shot.

Substitutions in the 57th minute injected immediate energy, with Irankunda pouncing on a poor pass and setting up Toure, who shot wide.

Later, Miller delivered a precise ball to Yazbek, who flicked toward Circati, but the skipper blasted high.

In the 70th minute, following a scramble in the box, the Australians cleared the danger.

Decisive Moment

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

As a Canadian defender dithered, Irankunda slid in from the unmarked position to tap in his third strike.

Late Action

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

Emotions flared in injury-time, resulting in Irankunda receiving a booking and taken off amid a fracas.

In a spiteful final few minutes, the Australian backline and Izzo held firm to secure the result.

Looking Ahead

With now secured a spot for the next World Cup, the Socceroos are intensifying their preparation with warm-up matches against Canada and the USA, with a fixture scheduled in Colorado on Wednesday.