Australia had one of their best World Cup campaigns as they came within a whisker of qualifying for the quarter-finals. The team also saw a batch of youngsters who are going to hit their prime come the next World Cup. Garang Kuol, Nathaniel Atkinson, and Joel King are some of the names that have come out of Australian football recently. And this is why the rise of another star in Nestory Irankunda has excited the Socceroos fans.
One of the best youth products ever produced by Adelaide United’s academy, Irankunda, is attracting the interest of some of the top clubs in the world. He has also been selected as a part of the players who were called to train with the Australian senior men’s football team.
So, who is Nestory Irankunda, and how good is he?
Who is Nestory Irankunda
Nestory Irankunda was born on February 9, 2006, in Kigoma, a city on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. However, his parents then migrated to Australia, settling in Adelaide, the capital of the Southern Territory state. Irankunda showed great potential and thus was enrolled in the Adelaide Croatia Raiders, a semi-professional club.
Irankunda showed great potential from the start and quickly became one of the brightest prospects at the club. And his rise put him on the radar of Adelaide United, the biggest club in the area.
In 2021, Irankunda joined Adelaide United and was immediately sent to the youth team, where he made three appearances before earning a call-up to the senior squad. He made his debut on January 8, 2022, against Melbourne Victory. His debut goal came on January 30, 2022, against Newcastle United Jets. In total, Irankunda made 11 appearances for the senior team scoring three goals.
Garang Kuol & Nestory Irakunda warning up together.
Money well spent, Eyes on the future.#AUSvECU #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/EpjmGCKkKd
— Seamus L (@moidle17) March 28, 2023
Nestory Irakunda stats
Nestory Irakunda started one game for the youth team in the current season before he was permanently promoted to the senior squad. And Irakunda has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The forward has scored five goals and provided two assists in 19 games. He has played a total of 515 minutes which gives him a goal contribution every 73 minutes.
His impact can also be gauged by the fact that five of his goal contributions came when Adelaide were either drawing the match or losing it, making him one of the most impactful players in the team.
Stats from Sofascore show that…
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