Ireland v Qatar: Five talking points as Stephen Kenny seeks further evidence of progress

Stephen Kenny claimed his first competitive win as Republic of Ireland manager in Azerbaijan on Saturday (Niall Carson/PA)

Stephen Kenny will send the Republic of Ireland into friendly battle with World Cup hosts Qatar having finally ended his wait for a competitive victory.

Saturday’s 3-0 World Cup qualifier win in Azerbaijan was the Ireland manager’s first in 13 attempts in meaningful fixtures and just his second in 17 in total.