Boys in Green face March mission against Slovakia

Slovakia have been given until December 20 to decide whether to host the Republic of Ireland in Trnava or Bratislava next March as Uefa continued planning for the Euro 2020 play-off draw on Friday morning.

The Slovakians, whose head coach Pavel Hapal won the last of his 31 caps for the Czech Republic against an Ireland team being managed by Mick McCarthy for only the second time in April 1996, staged their first home meeting against Ireland in Bratislava 12 years ago, watched by a near-capacity crowd of 12,360, who witnessed a 2-2 draw in a Euro 2008 qualifier.