Updates from Zenica as Northern Ireland face Bosnia in decisive Nations League clash
Live |
The equation for Tanya Oxtoby's side is simple. If they win or draw with Bosnia in Zenica they will finish second in the group and qualify for the Promotion Play-Off for a place in League A. If they lose, they will finish third and drop into the Relegation Play-Off where they must fight to avoid the drop into League C.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast Giants honour legendary head coach Adam Keefe with jersey retirement at testimonial
At a testimonial game in Keefe's honour, celebrating his 14 years of service to the Giants, in front of his family – including brother Sheldon, head coach of the NHL's New Jersey Devils – his jersey was raised to the rafters at the SSE Arena. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed in hockey and a wholly deserved one for Keefe, the team's most successful coach and an individual who is described as the "heartbeat" of the organisation. And now nobody will ever wear the No.47 jersey ever again as, after a heartfelt speech by Giants chairman Robert Fitzpatrick, the banner was lofted above the West End net where it will forever stay. The jersey raising ceremony was followed by the testimonial, which took the form of a round-robin tournament between former team-mates and players that Keefe has coached split into four teams named after Keefe's former teams. Current Belfast stars such as captain Mark Cooper, David Goodwin, Ben Lake and Jackson Whistle all featured, while fellow retired jerseys Rob Stewart, Colin Shields and Graeme Walton also took part, with Todd Kelman and Shane Johnson taking their place as coaches alongside Sheldon Keefe. Joining the organisation in 2011 as a hard-nosed forward and quickly establishing himself as captain in only his second season in Belfast, Keefe would win two Elite League titles with the Giants as a player but it is as coach that his legacy has been taken to another level. In his seven seasons in charge, Keefe has delivered ten trophies to the Giants out of a possible 19, including the Grand Slam in 2023 as his all-conquering side swept all before them to secure League, Challenge Cup and Play-Off glory. Last season the Brampton, Ontario native led the Giants to their fourth League title under his stewardship, winning a dramatic final day race to clinch the crown, as well as a fifth Cup, and is now preparing to take the team into the Champions League for the fourth time next season. Not just the team's coach, Keefe has now built his life in Northern Ireland having married wife Colleen, with the couple welcoming their first daughter Cora in 2021, with Tara following in 2023.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
Scotland team v Iceland predicted - defensive shake-up, Kieran Tierney experiment and first start for striker
Scotland begin preparations for the start of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in September with a friendly double-header this week. Steve Clarke's side face Iceland at Hampden Park on Friday night before travelling to Liechenstein on Monday for their final warm-up match ahead of the bid to reach the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year. The Scots are looking to bounce back from a sour end to their Nations League campaign back in March when they succumbed to a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Greece in their League A/B play-off with a 3-0 loss in the second leg at Hampden coming as a major disappointment following the 1-0 away victory in the first leg four days earlier. The setback - which ended a run a three successive victories - meant Scotland lost their place in the top tier of the Nations League as they were relegated back to League B after one campaign in League A. Scotland will now look to restore some positivity against two opponents they will be expected to beat. Iceland have tumbled down the Fifa rankings in recent years after the highs of reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and qualifying for their first World Cup in 2020. Now down at 74th, they finished third in their Nations League B section behind Wales and Turkey, but in front of Montenegro, who they registered their two wins against. Liechtenstein, meanwhile, are ranked 205th in the world, and lost twice to San Marino in their Nations League D campaign, one of only five teams below them in the rankings. Clarke has a decision to make over his team selection and tactics for both matches. He has named seven uncapped players in his squad but is without regulars Craig Gordon, Kenny McLean, Ryan Christie and Lyndon Dykes through injury. A fully fit Kieran Tierney also resurfaces an old dilemma for Clarke over how to incorporate both the returning Celtic left-back and Liverpool's Andy Robertson in the same starting line-up with a possible return to a back three, or an experimental option at his disposal. Here is how we predict Clarke could line up against Iceland at Hampden on Friday... 1 . Angus Gunn - GK The currently unattached 29-year-old goalkeeper following his Norwich City exit will likely be brought back in to start for his 16th cap in place of the injured Craig Gordon. | SNS Group Photo Sales 2 . Max Johnston - RB A home friendly against Iceland feels like the right time to give the 21-year-old Sturm Graz right-back his chance in the Scotland starting XI after a breakthrough season in Austria, which culminated in a second successive league title win and appearances in the Champions League. | SNS Group Photo Sales 3 . John Souttar - RCB After years of injury trouble, the Rangers defender appears to have finally cemented his status as a first-choice centre-back for Scotland. In line to win his 16th cap. | SNS Group Photo Sales 4 . Scott McKenna - LCB A puzzling one. The Las Palmas centre-back who played almost every week in La Liga, and starred in victories over Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, albeit before suffering relegation, has been kept out of the Scotland starting line-up by a Grant Hanley who couldn't get a game for either Norwich or Birmingham last season. Now must surely be the time to give the Souttar-McKenna partnership a chance, which, on paper, should be Scotland's strongest centre-back pairing. | SNS Group Photo Sales
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland know path to top flight after discovering Nations League Play-Off opponents
After finishing second in their group thanks to their final round draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland know only a two-legged tie stands between them and a place in League A. However, they have been handed a tough draw against Iceland, who are ranked 13th in the world and have qualified for the last four European Championships, with the upcoming Euro 2025 their fifth consecutive appearance. Boasting players such as West Ham's Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Madrid's Hildur Antonsdóttir and Leicester City's Hlín Eiríksdóttir, Iceland will be formidable opponents for Northern Ireland. Oxtoby will be cursing her luck as they could have been drawn against Austria (18th) or Belgium (20th), who will face the Republic of Ireland, although they did avoid the best nation in the draw in 12th-ranked Denmark. However, there will be a glimmer of hope in that Þorsteinn Halldórsson's side haven't won a match since July 16, losing five of their last ten outings and drawing the remainder. Northern Ireland finished second in League B1 behind unbeaten Poland as home wins over Bosnia and Romania, coupled with a pair of 1-1 draws away against the same opponents, saw them secure a Play-Off spot. The two Play-Off games will both be played in October, with the exact dates and venues to be confirmed at a later date.
