Teenage winger Nestory Irankunda has been recalled to the Socceroos squad for the first time in nearly a year as coach Tony Popovic named a youthful 25-man group for the upcoming “Soccer Ashes” friendlies against New Zealand.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that the 19-year-old, who recently joined Watford after leaving Bayern Munich, made his Australia debut in 2023 but has since been overlooked. “He’s maturing, and we hope to see him at many World Cups to come,” Popovic said.
Joining him are seven uncapped players, including forwards Noah Botic and Nicolas Milanovic, midfielders Adrian Segecic, Anthony Kalik, Max Balard, plus goalkeepers Tom Glover and Paul Izzo. Veteran goalkeeper Mat Ryan was left out due to limited game time, despite earning his 100th cap in June, though Popovic expects him back soon.
Captain Jackson Irvine also misses out through injury. Australia face New Zealand on September 5 in Canberra and on September 9 in Auckland in the revived Soccer Ashes series.
Idman.biz
