Ireland set sights on crucial qualifier

The Republic of Ireland senior squad will assemble at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links in Portmarnock at noon tomorrow to prepare for their vital Euro 2004 qualifier against Switzerland in Basel on Saturday.

A training session is scheduled for the Malahide United Football Club ground on the Coast Road at Malahide at 3.30pm tomorrow afternoon.

Training sessions are also scheduled for Malahide on Wednesday at 10.30am and 3.30pm.

Following arrival in Switzerland on Thursday, the squad will have a run-out at a local ground in Basel at 5.30pm and on Friday the squad will go to the match stadium for a training session at 11am.

Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland manager Don Givens brought his Under-21 squad together at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Dublin Airport, this morning in the run-up to their Euro 2004 Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Neuchatel on Friday (kick-off 6pm, 5pm Irish time).

Manager Givens has planned training sessions at the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh for 4pm this afternoon and at 10.30am and 3.30pm on both tomorrow and Wednesday also at the Complex.

A training session is scheduled for a local ground following arrival in Basel on Thursday at 4.30pm.