"Who would ever have thought Northern Ireland would be so thankful for the Nations League? Infamously, it took them four years to register a first victory in the competition, their 2-1 win over Kosovo at Windsor Park in September 2022 coming at their 15th attempt. Yet now, thanks to their table-topping showing in the most recent iteration in 2024, Michael O'Neill's side are two games from a first World Cup appearance for the country in 40 years."
"Had they held on, or had referee Istvan Kovacs ruled out Tomas Bobcek's stoppage-time winner for a push on Daniel Ballard, it would not have changed the reality that this was their worst performance of what has been an otherwise encouraging campaign. Such an outcome always felt a distinct possibility given their notable absentees for the game. In Kosice, Shea Charles was a massive loss but nobody who has watched Northern Ireland during O'Neill's second tenure would have expected anything less."
Northern Ireland topped their Nations League group in 2024 and earned a spot in the March World Cup play-offs. The play-off place depended on their own earlier performances and Croatia's 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands. A 1-0 defeat to Slovakia in Kosice left an odd feeling despite the qualification, with players and manger frustrated by performance and refereeing. A draw would have secured qualification through Group A without relying on Nations League seeding. Notable absences, particularly Shea Charles, weakened the team for the match. Brad Lyons and George Saville performed determinedly, while Conor Bradley remained influential.
Read at www.bbc.com
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