Australia secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Canada in Montreal, with teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda scoring the decisive goal in the 71st minute. The win extends the Socceroos' unbeaten run under coach Tony Popovic to 11 matches.
After a dour first half dominated by Canada, the introduction of substitutes Jordy Bos, Lewis Miller and Patrick Yazbek injected energy into the Australian side. The breakthrough came when Connor Metcalfe released Mohamed Toure on the right, and his cut-back was pounced on by Irankunda after a defensive lapse from Canada's Nico Sigur.
Goalkeeper Paul Izzo, starting ahead of captain Maty Ryan, produced a series of fine saves, including a world-class stop to deny Jacob Shaffelburg in the 90th minute. Popovic praised Izzo's performance, saying, 'He's stepping up.'
Tempers flared late in the match, and Irankunda received a yellow card before being substituted. Popovic embraced the 19-year-old as he left the field, commenting, 'I'm just proud of his contribution. He's a young man that has so much growth to come.'
The Socceroos, already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, now turn their attention to a friendly against the United States in Denver. Popovic noted the challenge of altitude, saying, 'It's a good test for logistics, a good test for the conditions.'
