McCabe and O’Sullivan ready for Páirc return

Katie McCabe pictured with supporters as the Republic of Ireland women's squad travel to Cork ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Round 1 play-off, second leg, between the Republic of Ireland and Kazakhstan on Tuesday, October 13th at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan will be unleashed at Pairc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday as Ireland intend showing no mercy to Kazakhstan in the women’s World Cup playoff semi-final.

That arduous eleven-hour trip Ireland endured to Astana for Friday’s first leg will feel a lot harder for the visitors bruised by an 8-0 pasting.

Ireland are already thinking of next month’s showdown against either Poland or Belgium for a place at the 2027 showpiece.

They have beaten both potential finalists over the past year and it is the Belgians in control of reaching that finale by leading 1-0 from the first leg in Leuven.

Yet Poland missed a penalty by their Barcelona star Ewa Pajor.

Ireland manager Carla Ward has spoken of the four-step journey to Rio de Janeiro in June of next year and part two of that sequence will be devoid of stress due to the mismatch they confronted against a nation ranked 77 places behind them.

Chelsea star McCabe accompanied her team across Europe for that formality.

She sat in the Astana Arena offering encouragement but having served her one-match ban will be back leading the team in Cork. Her 108th cap will be an occasion to swell her goal haul of 31.

O’Sullivan will address the media on Monday, fresh from being rested for the pedestrian opening half of this exercise.

She’s back on home soil, in fine fettle following her move to New York giants Gotham, and also be eager for goals on her 133rd appearance.

Munster’s GAA headquarters has been a happy hunting ground for Ireland, with their two best results for years, against superpowers France and Netherlands, sandwiched in between by a win over Slovenia clinched by local Saoirse Noonan, accounting for their three Leeside visits. There’s no danger of the fourth, kicking off at 7.30pm. arresting that trend.