![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
With the game in the balance at 1-1, the introduction of Irankunda, Jordy Bos and Riley McGree changed the game, with all heavily involved in Australia\u2019s fast finish.<\/p>\n
Star wing-back Bos also found the back of the net, while defender Alessandro Circati and attacker Awer Mabil also scored on a memorable night for the Australians.<\/p>\n
Irankunda netted the Socceroos\u2019 fourth and fifth goals, with his celebrations included a silver-gloved Michael Jackson-style dance as well as his customary backflips.<\/p>\n
Socceroos captain Mat Ryan said the whole squad was doing their best to push for World Cup selection<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of prizes at stake individually and collectively, and everyone\u2019s trying to put their best foot forward in order to warrant their selection come the World Cup in a couple of months time,\u201d Ryan told Network 10.<\/p>\n
The Socceroos scored with their first chance of the match in the 23rd minute.<\/p>\n
Having won possession deep in Curacao\u2019s half, former Melbourne City star Kai Trewin \u2013 who started in the right wing-back position \u2013 played a square ball into the path of Deni Juric.<\/p>\n
Striker Juric then flicked the ball into the path of Mabil, who scored with the outside of his right boot.<\/p>\n
It was Mabil\u2019s first goal for the Socceroos since March 2023 and his 10th overall for the national team.<\/p>\n
Curacao had a good chance to equalise 10 minutes later after a fine pass from captain Leandro Bacuna found teammate Jeremy Antonisse.<\/p>\n
However, goalkeeper Ryan came to Australia\u2019s rescue with a sharp save down to his left to deny Antonisse.<\/p>\n
Mabil had a chance to double the Socceroos\u2019 lead in the 43rd minute after being found beyond the far post by a cross from Ajdin Hrustic.<\/p>\n
However, Mabil\u2019s volley from a tight angle hit the post.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for Hrustic, he damaged his hamstring in the build-up and didn\u2019t reappear for the second-half.<\/p>\n
Curacao stunned the Australians with an equaliser five minutes into the second-half.<\/p>\n
It was a long ball that brought the Socceroos unstuck.<\/p>\n
The ball eventually fell for substitute Arjany Martha, who outpaced defender Kye Rowles before sliding the ball under Ryan.<\/p>\n
However, Circati\u2019s goal in the 67th minute, from a McGree cross, restored Australia\u2019s lead with Bos and Irankunda then providing the icing on the cake to ensure the Socceroos clinched the Australian leg of the FIFA Series.<\/p>\n
Five changes<\/p>\n
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic made five changes to the team that started in last Friday\u2019s 1-0 win over Cameroon.<\/p>\n
Trewin and Aziz Behich came in for wing-backs Jacob Italiano and Bos, Kye Rowles replaced Jason Geria in the heart of Australia\u2019s defence, and attacking weapons Hrustic and Mabil started in place of McGree and Martin Boyle.<\/p>\n
Geria was also among the players to come on, as was Alex Robertson. However, uncapped striker Ante Suto didn\u2019t get an opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nestory Irankunda netted a brace as the Socceroos farewelled Australia ahead of the FIFA World Cup in style…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":576283,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6074,160839,276534,64,63,689,139682,253445,97319,277115,3471,6246,2105,8083,31550,253457,160809,282723,282727,84337,6260,647,19928,129806,11326,44,677,282722,282726,282724,6248,282721,660,282725,104334],"class_list":["post-576282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-africa","tag-alex-robertson","tag-ante-suto","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-leg","tag-aziz-behich","tag-cameroon","tag-fifa-series","tag-final-match","tag-football-news","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-graham-denholm","tag-home-soil","tag-jacob-italiano","tag-jason-geria","tag-jeremy-antonisse","tag-leandro-bacuna","tag-martin-boyle","tag-mat-ryan","tag-melbourne","tag-michael-jackson","tag-middle-africa-sub-saharan-africa","tag-national-team","tag-news","tag-oceania","tag-right-wing-back-position","tag-square-ball","tag-star-wing-back","tag-tony-popovic","tag-upset-worry","tag-victoria","tag-winner-seals","tag-young-superstar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}