'She has driven women's football again and again': Alan Mahon on soon to be centurion Katie McCabe's influence

Alan Mahon stepped in to announce the squad while his boss Carla Ward was away and lauded the 30-year-old Gooner for her achievements to date

Katie McCabe currently has 98 caps for her country. File picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Arsenal’s Champions League winner Katie McCabe will join the centurion club by the end of Ireland’s Uefa Nations League playoff against Belgium.

Alan Mahon stepped in to announce the squad while his boss Carla Ward attended to a family matter in England and the former men’s international lauded the 30-year-old Gooner for her achievements to date. McCabe currently has 98 caps.

“Not because I'm Irish or because I'm being biased, but even in England Katie’s the one player that, wherever we went, I always wanted to try and get her in,” said Mahon, who worked as Manchester City assistant manager for 10 years.

“She's driven women's football again and again - a top player, a professional who drives a lot of stuff behind the scenes. There’s a lot of talking and driving from Katie.

“So to be honest, it's easy because you're working with a player who's won the Champions League and many other trophies.” 

Ireland are underdogs in the playoff which begins at Lansdowne Road on Friday week, October 24 (7pm). It’s only the fifth time for the senior women’s team to grace the national stadium.

Belgium are ranked 20th in the world, seven places ahead of Ireland, and will have home advantage for the second leg in Leuven (7.30pm, Irish).

The playoff will determine which team begins the qualification series for the 2027 World Cup in the top tier.

It ensures that, regardless of results in the regular campaign starting in February, the victor is guaranteed entry into the playoff series for a chance to reach Brazil.

Ireland will have to confront the task without their regular goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan due to injury.

Her only absence over the last 42 games was for the facile Euro 2025 playoff win over lowly Georgia which allowed Grace Moloney earn her seventh cap.

Moloney plays for Sunderland. The two other stoppers in the squad, Charlton Athletic’s Sophie Whitehouse and Katie Keane of Leicester City have also featured in this season’s Championship but are uncapped.

Oddly, Women’s Super League custodian Megan Walsh of West Ham United was overlooked.

Injuries also rule out Cok-born defender Megan Connolly (foot), midfielder Lily Agg (knee) and forward Leanne Kiernan (foot). Long throw specialist Megan Campbell this week announced her retirement, following 57 caps.

Defender Anna Patten – although selected in the squad – will be unavailable for the first leg game due to suspension.

Ireland have yo-yoed between League A and B, losing all but one of their top-tier contests in 2024, but the prize at stake here is crucial to the World Cup roadmap.

“It's not the end of the world if you lose the two games,” reasoned former Burnley and Wigan Athletic midfielder Mahon.

“But we'd like to get into Ligue A because obviously you get a second chance in the playoffs.

“If we go into it thinking we take your foot off the gas to avoid facing the bigger nations that just sends a mixed message.” Ireland women’s squad:

Goalkeepers: G Moloney (Sunderland), S Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), K Keane (Leicester City).

Defenders: H Payne (Leicester City), A Mannion (Newcastle United), J Stapleton (Nottingham Forest – on loan), A Patten (Aston Villa), C Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), H Nolan (Crystal Palace), C Mustaki (Nottingham Forest), K McCabe (Arsenal), I Atkinson (Sunderland).

Midfielders: D O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), R Littlejohn (Crystal Palace), J Finn (Sunderland), T Toland (Durham), M Sheva (Sunderland), J Ziu (Bristol City – on loan), L Quinn (Birmingham City).

Forwards: K Carusa (San Diego Wave), A Barrett (Standard Liege), A Larkin (Crystal Palace), E Murphy (Newcastle United), S Noonan (Celtic).