Northern Ireland captain Simone Magill says Play-Off destiny is in sqaud's hands ahead of Bosnia clash

Belfast Telegraph

2 days ago

Those who are full-time professionals will go off on their summer break, while an immediate refocus to domestic action this weekend will be the case for those who play for Irish League clubs.
There is no major tournament to look forward to, no place in the sun a la Southampton three years ago for the Women's Euro 2022 Finals. While the cream of Europe is battling it out for the right to be called the best team on the continent, Northern Ireland will be watching on.
That doesn't mean the final Women's Nations League group game is without meaning. Far from it.
Where Northern Ireland finish in the table and what comes next are hugely important in the context of obtaining a first World Cup qualification and the potential for at least a guaranteed qualification Play-Off.
That's what comes with being a League A team, which Tanya Oxtoby's side have ambitions to be and, while automatic Uefa Nations League promotion is no longer within reach after Friday night's 4-0 defeat to Poland, that ambition is still achievable.
Indeed unless things go badly wrong for Northern Ireland against Bosnia & Herzegovina, a Play-Off for a place in League A awaits and the World Cup becomes a realistic aim, even if there would still be much work to do in terms of at least winning two Play-Off contests over the next couple of years.
Even a single goal defeat would secure second place in the group and finishing a place higher than the 2023 Nations League, with promotion to play for rather than a fight to avoid relegation, would be the kind of success the team has been striving for.
'We spoke at the start of this campaign about our aim and that is still very much in our control and I think that is the most important thing,' said captain Simone Magill.
'If we can go and get the result we want then that's been success for us. It would be a special feeling (to get to League A). We spoke about after qualifying for the last major tournament that we didn't want it to be a one-off, we wanted to be in the mix again and getting promotion to League A would do exactly that, it would start to put us back in the mix and get us closer to being back where we want to be.'
The safety net of a three point cushion ahead of both Bosnia and Romania isn't something that manager Oxtoby wants to have to rely on — the head-to-head record already means that Romania can't get into second place and the thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Bosnia gives Northern Ireland an advantage as things stand.
The three wins against the Bosnians in the last 15 months aren't in Oxtoby's mind either.
Her reign has been something of a roller-coaster since taking charge in September 2023. Now the hope is that with everything in Northern Ireland's hands, there is a smooth ending to this campaign, ready for a rise again come October with the carrot of taking someone's League A status from them.
'We know that we are in a really good position where we can affect our own destiny and that's what we wanted going into this game,' said Oxtoby.
'The job is certainly not done, We are by no means expecting to turn up and the result to be ours.
'We need to make sure that we are fully focused and we go 100 miles an hour after it.
'I would just be so happy for the players because it has been a tough window and a tough campaign and that reward for all the effort that everyone has put in would be the most pleasing thing.'