Ireland to face Gibraltor at temporary Faro base next October

AWAY DAYS: Ireland manager Stephen Kenny. ©INPHO/James Crombie

Irish fans will be heading back to the Estadio Algarve in Faro, rather than the Victoria Stadium in the tiny homeland, for the away Euro qualifier against Gibraltar next October.

The minnows provided the one reprieve in a daunting qualifying group Ireland were drawn into last Sunday.

World champions France are second seeds behind Netherlands, while Greece were one of the tougher fourth seeds that third seeds Ireland could have been grouped with.

The last away game between the teams took place in March 2019, an occasion better remembered for the mounting pressure on the embattled John Delaney sitting among the sparse crowd watching Mick McCarthy negotiate an uninspiring 1-0 Euro 2020 win on his return to the job.

Prior to that, Ireland’s visit for the Euro 2016 group game took place in Portugal. Robbie Keane struck a brace in the 4-0 stroll, the same day Scotland lost to Georgia to hand Martin O’Neill’s side the initiative in claiming third place and a playoff they prevailed in.

As dispensation granted by Uefa to use the Victoria Stadium has expired and reconstruction work has been delayed, Faro will be again their temporary base for the road to Germany kicking off next March.

“The Gibraltar Football Association can today confirm that Gibraltar’s EURO 2024 home matches will be held in Faro, Portugal,” they said in a statement.

“We are now pleased to confirm that plans to construct the new National Stadium are at an advanced stage, with the respective planning processes scheduled to start before the end of this year, and subject to approval, its construction is envisaged to begin in the second half of next year.” Meanwhile, the Irish women’s team's success – this week qualifying for a first-ever World Cup – has lifted them to a record high of 23 in the latest Fifa’s rankings published today.

As indicated, they will be third seeds in the draw for the finals to be held in Auckland on Saturday week (7.30am). A maximum of two European teams can be drawn in the same pool.