Australia 5-1 Curacao: Irankunda brace rounds off five-star win

Nestory Irankunda scored twice off the bench as Australia turned on the style in the second half to get a 5-1 win over Curacao in the FIFA series.

The Socceroos have won both of their friendlies in this international camp, and four goals in 17 second-half minutes put them out of sight after Curacao had equalised on Tuesday.

After Mat Ryan had made a double save to keep out Tahith Chong and Brandley Kuwas, Australia took a 23rd-minute lead, with Leandro Bacuna punished for a poor pass as Awer Mabil dinked a lovely finish over the goalkeeper.

Mabil then struck the post as Australia finished the first half on top, but Curacao responded well five minutes after the break, with Ar’Jany Martha racing in behind the hosts’ defence to finish low past Ryan.

Alessandro Circati restored Australia’s lead 17 minutes later, though, rising high from a free-kick to thump a header past Eloy Room.

That opened the floodgates for Anthony Popovic’s side, with substitute Jordan Bos cutting inside onto his right foot to bend a pinpoint shot into the far post while off balance in the 71st minute.

Irankunda’s first goal snuck over the line with a bit of luck; he wiggled away from his defender on the left of the box, with his low effort deflecting through Room’s legs.

And he rounded off the scoring in the 84th minute, racing onto Nishan Velupilay’s throughball before firing his first-time shot in off the goalkeeper.

A dominant second-half display seals a 5-1 win in our final match on home soil before the #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/22YFekbzAg

— CommBank Socceroos (@Socceroos) March 31, 2026

Data Debrief: Substitutes prove the difference

Australia were looking a little nervous after Curacao’s equaliser early in the second half, but their substitutes had the desired impact.

The hosts scored with all four of their shots on target after the break in a clinical display, while Irankunda, who came on in the 67th minute, had the most touches in the opposition box for them (four).

It was three substitutes who got the assists as well, with Bos, Riley McGree and Velupillay all doing so from one chance created apiece.

This is the second time in their last three men’s internationals in Victoria that Australia have scored at least five goals (7-0 vs Bangladesh on 16 November 2023); the Socceroos had done so only once in all their 56 games prior in the state (10 vs Fiji on 14 August 1981 at Olympic Park).