- Socceroos face Bahrain in World Cup qualifier
- Nestory Irankunda could be a starter or an impact player
- The match will start on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Channel 10.
How to get the most out of the immensely talented Nestory Irankunda against Bahrain on Thursday night in the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier remains a pleasant headache for manager Graham Arnold.
The former A-League prodigy arrived in camp this week on the Gold Coast ready to shine for the national team after making an encouraging start at German giants Bayern Munich.
Arnold is certain to use Irankunda at Robina Stadium and is convinced the former Adelaide United winger will have an influence on the match, which kicks off at 8pm.
“The question at the moment is whether I’ll start him or not, because obviously he can have a massive impact coming off the bench, maybe when the opposition’s legs start to fail, but he’s also someone who can start and get an early goal,” he said on Wednesday.
“It’s something we need to think about and address.”
Arnold has been impressed by what he has seen from Irankunda in camp this week.
“He feels like every day he trains at Bayern he’s getting better, and he’s obviously excited to be here and to be with us, and we’re excited to have him because he brings something completely different,” he said of the 18-year-old attacking weapon.
‘He looks really good. Mentally, you can see he has a bit more belief. He actually feels like he belongs in the team because he’s been training with those (world-class) players and he sees that he’s at the same level.
How to get the most out of young prospect Nestory Irankunda The Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier against Bahrain on Thursday night remains a pleasant headache for manager Graham Arnold
The former A-League prodigy arrived at camp on the Gold Coast this week ready to shine for the national team.
The 18-year-old has impressed after signing for German giants Bayern Munich (pictured)
‘Physically, he’s obviously still a kid, he’s got a lot of work to do.
“Tactically, he does what he’s told and he’s got pretty good discipline, which is great, and technically he’s good, so the mental aspect is the most important thing. He’s really growing in that.”
Arnold was confident Irankunda could cope with the hype and not become another young Australian talent unable to “deal with the pressure” of a move overseas.
“Sometimes it can affect the player because I’ve seen players in the past that everyone was talking about, drooling about, and suddenly they can’t deal with the pressure and they can’t deal with the headlines,” he said.
“I’m excited to coach (Irankunda). I just want the best for the kid and we’ll make sure we have the right people around him, which is important because he’s only 18.”
Other selection decisions Arnold must make include the centre of defence, where the likes of Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess and Kye Rowles are all competing for two places.
Gold Coast-raised Rowles (who Arnold confirmed would start) is also an option to play left-back.
Arnold said securing automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup by finishing in the top two of their AFC third-round group, which includes Japan and Saudi Arabia, was the Socceroos’ obvious goal.
“That’s what I would love… but you have to remember that we have qualified for three of the last five (World Cups) through playoffs,” he said.
“The important thing is that we qualify. Expectations are always high… but there is always the possibility of a play-off.”