What prompted Nestory Irankunda’s white glove celebration in the match against Curaçao?

The 20-year-old, who was born in Tanzania, displayed footwork that would have made the “King of Pop” proud, expertly weaving past defender Jurien Gaari and nutmegging goalkeeper Eloy Room for his opening goal in the 80th minute at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

After executing a flawless back-flip, he donned a sequined glove tossed to him by a nearby photographer and celebrated with a dance, complete with Jackson’s iconic crotch-grab.

Irankunda revealed that the photographer is a friend who inspired the celebration during a conversation on Instagram.

“He knows I’m a massive Michael Jackson fan, and it was fantastic to showcase that and share it with everyone,” Irankunda said, citing “Smooth Criminal” as his favourite Jackson track.

The winger quickly added a second goal just shy of four minutes later, helping the team gift the home fans with a fifth and final goal before embarking on their overseas journey to continue their World Cup preparations.

Irankunda has been a source of excitement for Australia since becoming the country’s second-youngest player to score an international goal in a World Cup qualifier against Palestine two years ago.

Despite a high-profile signing with Bayern Munich not panning out, he was loaned to Swiss club Grasshopper before finding his way to English Championship side Watford last year.

Though Socceroos coach Tony Popovic initially overlooked him for selection in the first three windows, Irankunda has made a significant impact since rejoining the squad and could prove to be Australia’s most formidable forward at the World Cup.

“It’s wonderful to see him bursting into the box to score after showcasing his long-range skills previously,” said Popovic during a press conference.

“We want to see that continue,” he added. “He’s a young man developing not only in his game but also off the pitch.“

Popovic used Irankunda as a substitute in both friendlies against Cameroon and Curacao to explore various attacking combinations, which struggled for fluidity in both matches but showed improvement after his introduction in the second half.

Irankunda will be eager to secure a starting position in the World Cup, where the team’s aspirations far exceed their current world ranking of 27.

“We want to be that group that goes all the way and has a shot at winning the World Cup,” stated Irankunda with determination. “Since no one else believes in us, we have to believe in ourselves.“

Australia will kick off their World Cup campaign on June 13 against either Kosovo or Turkey, who are set to meet in a playoff later today, and will also face Paraguay and co-hosts the U.S.