"Proud to Lead This Team," Says Australia's Coach After Upset Win

Australia's national team coach, Tony Popovic, expressed immense pride following his side's surprising 2-0 victory over Turkey at the World Cup. Goals from 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda and midfielder Connor Metcalfe secured a stunning upset against the star-studded Turkish squad.

"I'm incredibly proud to be here as the coach. To experience this, to bring smiles to the faces of those who traveled so far to support us – I'm just thrilled for this group of wonderful young men. I'm proud of the staff and the work they put in. Some excellent decisions were made on the sidelines. I tried to guide them, to support them," Popovic stated, as quoted by BTA.

Young forward Irankunda opened the scoring in the 27th minute, assisted by 21-year-old Paul Okon-Engstler. Despite registering 30 shots on goal and dominating possession with 71.7%, Turkey failed to find an equalizer throughout the match.

"It was special to see the young lads combine for that goal. You can't underestimate how beneficial this will be for their confidence. Emotionally, this will give the players so much. We need to recover well and focus on the USA," the Australian specialist added.

Popovic's team is set to face tournament hosts USA on Friday in their second group stage match, with their final opponent being Paraguay on June 26.