Saturday, November 23, 2024

International football: WNT learn Nations League opponents while Kelleher and Idah called up to MNT 

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The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team have been drawn to play Turkey, Slovenia, and Greece in the 2025 edition of the Women’s Nations League.

Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly, and Eva Mangan will play six games spread across next February, April, and May/June.

The trio might have a home-game as there is a possibility of one match being played at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

These matches will be in League B, the tier that hosted the team’s perfect record of six wins from six in 2023.

The Girls in Green defeated Northern Ireland, Albania, and Hungary and that led to promotion to the competition’s highest level.

That earned the team a Euro 2025 play-off spot, and the players continued their journey towards qualification to a second major tournament by beating Georgia 9-0 over two legs last October.

They will face Wales in the play-off finals, and a place in next July’s finals is at stake.

The first leg is scheduled to take place on November 29th at the Cardiff City Stadium and they will meet again on December 3rd at the Aviva Stadium.

Elsewhere, the men’s national team has called up Caoimhin Kelleher and Adam Idah for this month’s Nations League games with Finland and England.

Celtic striker Adam Idah.

The Boys in Green will face Finland on November 14th at the Aviva Stadium, and they will meet the Three Lions on November 17th at Wembley Stadium.

Chiedozie Ogbene will miss this international window over an Achilles injury picked up while playing for Ipswich Town against Brentford in the Premier League.

The squad picked up Heimir Hallgrímsson includes recent U21 graduates Tom Cannon and Andy Moran.

There’s no room for Cork’s Alan Browne, who plays for a Sunderland team that is sitting on top of the EFL Championship.

Instead, Finn Azaz has been called up after first joining the senior set-up for October’s double header against Finland and Greece.

The Boys in Green won 2-1 in Helsinki with Liam Scales and Robbie Brady scoring, and they were comfortable beaten in Athens by a Greece side sitting on top of this table in the Nations League.

Ireland squad (v Finland and England) Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth), Max O’Leary (Bristol City).

Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Shane Duffy (Norwich City), Mark McGuinness (Luton Town), Liam Scales (Celtic), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City).

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Andy Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion).

Forwards: Adam Idah (Celtic), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tom Cannon (Stoke City, on loan from Leicester City), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Festy Ebosele (Watford, on loan from Udinese), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion).

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