Nestory Irankunda ya rubuta sunansa a cikin tarihin ƙwallon ƙafa na Australiya ranar Laraba, inda ya zama ƙaramin dan wasa da ya taba zura kwallo don Socceroos a gasar FIFA World Cup lokacin da ya bude zura kwallo a nasara ta 2-0 kan Turkiyya a Rukunin D a Vancouver.

Dan wasan gaba na Watford mai shekaru 20 ya zura kwallo a minti na 27, yana haɗe saurin aiki da ƙarfi don bude sarari kafin ya kammala da ƙarfin hali. Wannan shi ne nau'in kwallo da ke gabatar da dan wasa ga duniya — kuma labarin da ke bayan haka yana sa shi ya fi mamaki.

Daga sansanin 'yan gudun hijira na Tanzania zuwa dandalin duniya

An haifi Irankunda a shekarar 2006 a sansanin 'yan gudun hijira a Tanzania ga iyayen Burundiyawa waɗanda suka gudu daga ƙasarsu sakamakon yaƙin basasa. Yana ƙarami, ya ƙaura zuwa Australiya — ƙasar da yake wakilta a yanzu a mafi girman dandalin ƙwallon ƙafa a duniya.

Ya gano ƙwallon ƙafa a Australiya kuma ya hau matsayi ta hanyar rufin Adelaide United a A-League, inda ya zura kwallaye 16 da taimako 8 wa ƙungiyar babba kafin ya koma Bayern Munich a shekarar 2024.

Ko da yake bai taba buga wasa a hukumance a Jamus ba, Irankunda ya yi horon tare da wasu daga cikin mafi kyawun 'yan wasa a duniya, ciki har da mai kai hari na England Harry Kane. Duk da haka, rashin mintoci a wasan ya fara barazana ga mafarkinsa na wakiltar Australiya a wannan gasar.

Yanke shawara mai ƙarfin hali na barin Bayern Munich

Bayan aro a kulob din Swizalan Grasshopper, Irankunda ya fuskanci yanke shawara mai matuƙar muhimmanci a lokacin bazara na 2024. Ya zabi shiga Watford dindindin da farashi da ba a bayyana ba — yana barin ɗaya daga cikin manyan ƙungiyoyin Bundesliga don neman lokacin wasa akai-akai.

"Wuya ne yanke shawara amma a fili maƙasudi mafi girma a gare ni shi ne buga gasar Kofin Duniya," in ji Irankunda wa Sky Sports a bazara da ta wuce. "Gasar FIFA World Cup 2026 na kusa kuma dole in buga mintoci, ban buga ba. Koyaushe ya kasance mafarki na in buga a Ingila."

A kakar wasa a Watford, ya buga wasanni 42, ya zura kwallaye 4 kuma ya taimaka 5 — wanda ya ba shi tabbacin zaɓe zuwa tawagar Australiya.

Wahayi, bukukuwa, da makomar mai alheri

Abokin wasansa Mohamed Toure, wanda ya ba shi laƙabi "Houdini", yana da imani mai ƙarfi a ikonsa. "Na ga 'yan wasa da yawa masu kyau amma wani lokaci akwai musamman mai hazaka kuma shi ke nan," in ji Toure. "Idan ya yi aiki tuƙuru kuma ya kasance ƙasa da ƙafa, ina tsammanin zai wuce duk iyakar da mutane ke fada game da shi. Zai zarce ta."

Tsohon kocin Australiya da kuma kocin Tottenham Hotspur Ange Postecoglou ya yabi kwallona a ITV: "Ba kome matakin wasan ba, a filin wasa na unguwa ko Kofin Duniya, wannan saurin ban mamaki ne."

Don bukukuwa, Irankunda ya zabi girmama jarumi na Australiya da tsohon dan tsakiya na Everton Tim Cahill ta hanyar bugun sandarin kusurwa sau da yawa. "Tim Cahill shi ne mafi girman abin da ke motsa ni a ƙwallon ƙafa," in ji shi bayan nasara. "Shi da Lionel Messi. Tim Cahill, mafi girman Australiyawan a ra'ayina. Na yi tunani idan na zura kwallo, zan yi daidai da shi."

Ya kuma zama dan wasa na farko da aka haife shi wajen Australiya ya zura kwallo a gasar Kofin Duniya don Socceroos.

Postecoglou ya ga wannan kwallo na iya zama sauyi mai girma: "Wani lokaci a gasar Kofin Duniya, kana buƙatar makonni biyu masu kyau kuma dukan duniyarku na iya canzawa. Bari mu yi fata cewa wannan shine farkonsa."