Nestory Irankunda scored twice off the bench on Tuesday night in Melbourne to help the Socceroos thrash Curaçao 5-1, before setting his sights on a race against Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout.
The 20-year-old Watford forward, who celebrated his first goal with a backflip and a Michael Jackson-inspired dance, said he had been watching Gout's exploits from afar and would love to race the 200m champion. 'Two completely different sports, but we're both athletes,' Irankunda said. 'I'd love to race him one day.'
Irankunda admitted he has never met or spoken to Gout, but said he is proud of what the sprinter is doing for the country. His double, which included a sharp dribble and a run in behind, came after coach Tony Popovic urged him to get into the box more. 'It was a relief because we've been working on it for a long time,' he said.
The dance routine, complete with a glove thrown by a photographer friend, went viral on social media. Defender Jordy Bos said the glove came out of nowhere, while Alessandro Circati revealed Irankunda had been practising the move in camp. Captain Mat Ryan joked that Irankunda is 'deluded' to think he could beat Gout, but added: 'Confidence is always key... sometimes the delusion can be a positive thing.'
