The Socceroo duo who rose from refugees to future superstars

Nestory Irankunda and Mohammad Toure are part of a generation of young players who arrived in the country as refugees and are now making their mark on Australian soccer.

Both forwards now ply their trade in Europe, however, their introduction to each other and football mirror many within Melrose Park FC and the Greater Western Sydney Area.

Irankunda's parents was forced to flee a civil war in Burundi, living for an extended period inside a Tanzanian humanitarian shelter, where Nestory was born, before eventually settling in Adelaide. Mo Toure and his relatives fled Liberia and too found a home in Adelaide when Toure was a small child.

Like many before them, they’ve made it to a professional level through their talent and determination.

But their success stories have been orchestrated by Football South Australia's NTC (National Training Centre) program, which provides top-level youth coaching and selects participants based on sporting merit, not on fees. The state consistently outperforms it's peers for registration affordability, from casual to professional competitions.

One of the biggest barriers is expense. Data from the Australian Sports Commission shows that children up to the age of 14, paid on average $1065 to play sports outside of school hours in 2024, and soccer is one of the most expensive sports at the grass roots level. Children from families with low incomes, especially those from large families, miss out unless they are given a chance to play regardless of their financial situation. 

We know there are children from all backgrounds who could follow in their footsteps, they just need the opportunity. Whether they grow to be good players or just good humans, the stories of Irankunda and Toure should not remain an anomaly, but the aim.

That is our experience and that’s why we’re here. At Melrose Park FC we are committed to offering young players an opportunity, through good quality training at no cost and help with navigating a football pathway.

We can’t do it without help, of course, and we welcome any offers of sponsorship or in-kind support from the community.