Australia 5-1 Curacao: Irankunda Brace Caps Five-Goal Friendly Victory

Australia produced a powerful late surge to beat Curacao 5-1 in the FIFA series, completing a perfect international camp with two wins. The Socceroos struck four times in a ruthless 17-minute spell after half-time, with substitutes Nestory Irankunda and Jordan Bos central to a second-half performance that turned a nervous contest into a comfortable scoreline.

That spell began after Australia had been briefly pegged back. Curacao levelled five minutes into the second half, yet Anthony Popovic’s team responded with four unanswered goals. Alessandro Circati’s header restored control, Bos added a precise curling effort, and Irankunda then struck twice off the bench to give the hosts a resounding margin.

The match had opened with Curacao threatening an early setback, as Mat Ryan needed a sharp double save. Ryan first denied Tahith Chong, then quickly blocked Brandley Kuwas. Australia capitalised in the 23rd minute when Leandro Bacuna played a loose pass, allowing Awer Mabil to break clear and delicately chip the goalkeeper for the opener.

Australia grew stronger as the first half continued, with Mabil almost increasing the lead before the interval. A low shot from Mabil clipped the post as Curacao struggled to contain runs in wide areas. Despite those chances, the visitors regrouped at half-time and struck back shortly after the restart to unsettle the home side.

Curacao’s equaliser arrived when Ar'Jany Martha timed a run behind Australia’s defence and finished low past Ryan. That setback came just five minutes into the second period. Seventeen minutes later, Circati responded by rising highest from a set-piece and powering a header beyond Eloy Room, which swung the momentum firmly back towards Australia.

With Curacao chasing the game, space opened up for Australia’s substitutes to exploit. In the 71st minute, Bos drove in from the left and, while off balance, guided a right-footed shot into the far corner. Irankunda entered in the 67th minute and soon saw a low strike from the left side of the area squirm through Room’s legs and over the line.

Irankunda’s second goal completed the scoring in the 84th minute and highlighted Australia’s depth. The forward latched onto Nishan Velupillay’s throughball and, without taking a touch, drilled a first-time shot which deflected off the goalkeeper and in. Australia finished having converted all four of their shots on target after the break, underlining a very efficient display.

The impact from the bench was clear in both goals and creativity. Irankunda recorded the most touches in Curacao’s box for Australia, with four, despite playing only from the 67th minute. All three assists came from substitutes as well, with Bos, Riley McGree and Velupillay each setting up one goal from a single chance created.

Australia’s attacking output continued a strong scoring trend in Victoria. This match marked the second occasion in their last three men’s internationals in the state that the Socceroos had scored at least five goals. Previously, they had beaten Bangladesh 7-0 on 16 November 2023, having reached five or more only once in 56 earlier games there.

That earlier high-scoring performance in Victoria dated back more than four decades. Australia’s only previous five-goal outing across their first 56 matches in the state was a 10-0 victory over Fiji on 14 August 1981 at Olympic Park. The latest win therefore added another multi-goal display in front of home supporters preparing for the global tournament.

Australia leave this international window with confidence after two friendly wins and a commanding home farewell before the FIFA World Cup. The 5-1 scoreline over Curacao reflected strong squad depth, decisive finishing and an effective response to second-half pressure, elements that will interest observers following the Socceroos’ preparations from the Middle East and beyond.