Stakes are set for a Stockholm showdown

As the olés reverberated across the old Lansdowne Road, a smiling Robbie Keane looked around and took it all in. This, it seemed at the time, had the potential to develop into something great.

After the flaccid ending to the Brian Kerr era, a new leaf was turned. Sweden were swathed aside by a refreshed team in green; Keane wore the armband for the first time, Damien Duff was in stunning form, and Richard Dunne established himself as a first-choice centre-half.

Of course three months later, Sweden ended up going to the World Cup, while Ireland were marked absent, but as the fans filtered home on that bitterly cold spring night, there was a palpable excitement in the air.

Seven years later, on the eve of this do-or-die World Cup qualifier in Stockholm, it seems reasonable to suggest defeat may well book-end an era which began under Steve Staunton in March 2006.

Yes, there has been a change of manager, moments to celebrate and a dastardly month in Poland, but for Keane and, despite his enforced absence, Dunne, a chapter will be closed on their careers if Ireland fail to get a result at the shiny, new Friends Arena.

A loss will, most likely, signify the end of Ireland’s qualification hopes and for both a last tilt at qualifying for a major tournament. Around the Swedish capital last night, as Irish fans arrived, similar sentiments were being expressed by locals where Zlatan Ibrahimovic is concerned.

The result will also define a generation for the home team. Ibrahimovic is on the path to retirement (again) and this, too, will be his final attempt at making it to a World Cup. Failure will see him retire on a low point; success will give him one more opportunity to impress his talents on a global audience. While he is by far the most decorated player involved tomorrow night, Ibrahimovic has never scored at a World Cup finals — he drew a blank in 2006, and they didn’t qualify in 2010. He may be able to boast of six Serie A title wins (if you’re to include the revoked pair at Juventus), two Eredivisie medals and a La Liga, but scoring in the world’s biggest tournament is an aim the 31-year-old is desperate to achieve.

Motivated by that, questions over which Ibrahimovic will turn up against Ireland would appear to be easily answered. On Sunday night, when PSG threw away a two-goal lead at St Etienne to only draw, the best and worst of the enigma that is Zlatan was on show. He netted a panenka from the spot to make it 2-0, but a minute later he lazily conceded possession and petulantly shrugged off the complaints of his teammates.

If things don’t go his way, similar apathy might be witnessed tomorrow evening. But to question if he’ll put in one of his poorer performances would be ignorant of what is at stake.

Keane may not have Ibra’s ostentatious personality, but similarities between the two exist. It was the Dubliner that was left shining brightest in 2006, while Zlatan was replaced before half-time with a knock after being manned brilliantly by Dunne.

Some question whether Keane is the best fit up front for Ireland these days, but as captain, top scorer and the man for the big occasion, he is the closest Trapattoni has got to Ibra in terms of match-winning ability.

The endline is rapidly approaching on the horizon for both. If one ends up on the losing side tomorrow, the final curtain will be readied.