Latest news with #Zenica
BBC News
10 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
The next step or too much to ask? NI earn promotion chance
It wasn't a classic, but it was enough for Northern Ireland to get the job done. The goal had long been for Tanya Oxtoby's youthful side to fight for a chance to earn promotion to League A for the first thanks to Tuesday's 1-1 draw in Bosnia-Herzegovina, they will play in a promotion play-off in the autumn. A draw was all that was required in Zenica, and captain Simone Magill found the opener after being played in by Rebecca Holloway's inch-perfect the hosts hit back as Sofija Krajsumovic capitalised on some soft defending to bring Bosnia wasn't the dramatics from the reverse fixture in February in Larne, when Magill netted two late goals for a 3-2 win, but it was mission hindsight, that victory was crucial and ultimately the difference between facing a relegation play-off and having a shot at the big time."We needed a draw to get into the position of a play-off and we've got that. That's the main thing," former Northern Ireland captain Marissa Callaghan said on BBC Sport NI commentary."It's been the same sort of theme from the campaign where we start off really well, get our goal and you just want them to kick on a go for a second or maybe even a third. "But then we've given away a soft goal and it just changes." Will NI close the gap to Europe's elite? Callaghan had touched on what has been a frustrating theme from NI's Nations League campaign. There has certainly been bright moments from the youthful squad, but the lack of a full 90-minute performance has left points on the table after conceding soft goals - most notably in the draws with Romania and Bosnia. It has been a campaign of transition for the squad, with debuts handed to teenagers Kascie Weir, Aimee Kerr and Abi such as Rebecca McKenna, Joely Andrews, Keri Halliday, Danielle Maxwell and Brenna McPartlan, all in their early 20s, have taken more steps forward as leaders in the team, popping up with pivotal the top end of experience, Magill has led the way, but players such as Lauren Wade, Jackie Burns, Holloway and Rachel Dugdale have had their moments the campaign has been inconsistent, the blend in the squad shows things are pointing towards a bright the positives, such as the flowing first-half football at home to Romania and defensive solidity in the second half away in Poland (albeit when the team were already 2-0 down) can start outweighing the negatives then the team will continue to move in the right direction. Is it enough for Northern Ireland to take the next step and join the top tier of European football? Time will tell. The 7-0 aggregate defeat by Norway in the Euro 2025 play-offs showed that Europe's elite are on a different level, and the two Nations League games with Poland suggested there's work to do to close the gap to the best of the rest in the autumn they will get another opportunity to try and bridge that gap in a promotion play-off. They will be drawn against either Iceland, Denmark, Belgium or Austria, and will have nothing to lose as the underdogs - a tag which has suited Northern Ireland well in the past. "They would be really tough games. Iceland might be a team we would hope to get, but all four of them are League A teams who have qualified for major tournaments in recent years," Callaghan added. "We've played Austria and we know what they are capable of, but you can only take it one game at a time."Tanya and her team will make sure they do their homework on the opposition and set up accordingly."Even if the step up to League A is out of reach in the autumn, Callaghan doesn't necessarily believe that staying in their current tier would be a bad outcome."We're bringing a lot of youth into the squad and there are so many players who have less than 10 caps or just come out of the Under-19s. "So, to expect them to go up to League A and compete, I think it's a little bit too much to ask."We have a few 30-year-olds in terms of experience. Listen, League B has been a good league for us and it's been challenging for us."
BBC News
18 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Oxtoby sees NI's 'growth' after securing play-off
Northern Ireland boss Tanya Oxtoby believes their 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Nations League in Zenica shows the "growth" of her Simone Magill's composed finish was cancelled out by Sofija Krajsumovic's equaliser for Bosnia, but NI saw out the draw which secured second place in the group and a promotion is an improvement on their third-place finish in the last edition of the Nations League, and despite the nervy nature of the draw, Oxtoby praised the application of her players to grind out a result."It's always a difficult place to come with the travel, I thought we should have scored a few more in the first half and we conceded a sloppy one, but to show the character to see the game out that's all that matters at this point," she said."In international football there are no easy games, I said all along every game was going to be competitive in this group and you have to show the character and resilience."You have to win when it's not pretty and get results when it's not pretty and we've certainly done that when there have been times previously when we haven't, so for me, that is growth." NI success 'takes everyone' Northern Ireland will now face one of Austria, Belgium, Denmark or Iceland in the play-offs in October after those four sides finished third in their respective League A groups, with the draw taking place on was keen to stress that NI being in a position to reach League A for the first time takes a whole squad effort, particularly after a difficult trip to get to Bosnia."When you talk about the culture of the group, everyone adds value and contributes to what we're doing," she added."I said to the players whether you played or not you have contributed to the success of the group, it takes everyone."The travel day wasn't exactly smooth but to see the way the group look after each other in the airport that pleases me no end because that is the foundation you build team character and resilience on."
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Northern Ireland's job 'certainly not done'
Nations League Group B1: Bosnia & Herzegovina v Northern IrelandVenue: FF BH Football Training Centre, Zenica Date: Tuesday, 3 June Kick-off: 18:00 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and follow live text commentary & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website Manager Tanya Oxtoby says her Northern Ireland side know the "job's certainly not done" in the Nations Ireland travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina knowing a win or draw would secure a promotion play-off with a League A a defeat would open up a number of permutations with the Bosnians just three points behind Oxtoby's side in Group have won all three meetings with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the past year, including a dramatic 3-2 win in the reverse Nations League fixture in February."We by no means expect to just turn up here and the result be ours," said Oxtoby."We need to make sure that we are fully focused and that we go 100mph after it." Oxtoby admitted it had been a "tough campaign" and a promotion play-off against a League A side would be a good reward for the work they have put in."From a playing group point of view and a staff point of view, I'd just be so happy for them because it's been a really, really tough window this window,."It's also been a tough campaign, and that reward for all the effort that everyone's put in for me be the most pleasing thing."After the defeat on Friday, when Poland punished the hosts in a ruthless first half, Oxtoby says her youthful squad will be "right up for it" in Zenica."We know what Bosnia possess in terms of threats and we know what we're looking to do too."We can only concentrate on on ourselves, try to execute what we're going after and focus on the performance to give ourselves every opportunity to get the result."The ball is in our court, we know that we're in a really good position where we can affect our own destiny. "That's what we wanted going into this game."
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Three live Northern Ireland internationals in seven days on BBC Sport NI
The Northern Ireland women and men's teams are in action with three games in seven days and BBC Sport NI will have live coverage of all three. Following a setback against Poland last Friday, Tanya Oxtoby's side face a crucial final Nations League group game away to Bosnia-Herzegovina tomorrow evening (Tuesday 03 June). Avoiding defeat in the showdown in Zenica would mean Northern Ireland finish second in the group and secure a promotion play-off place. The game will be live on BBC iPlayer with kick-off at 6pm. The Northern Ireland men's team play two friendly internationals in preparation for their World Cup qualifiers in the autumn. They travel away to face Denmark on Saturday 7 June (kick-off 6pm) before hosting Iceland at home on Tuesday 10 June (kick-off 7.45pm) at the National Stadium at Windsor Park. Both games are live on BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC iPlayer with live audio commentary on BBC Radio Ulster. KM2 Follow for more
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
What do Northern Ireland need in the Nations League?
Nations League Group B1: Bosnia & Herzegovina v Northern IrelandVenue: FF BH Football Training Centre, Zenica Date: Tuesday, 3 June Kick-off: 18:00 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and follow live text commentary & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website Northern Ireland's hopes of automatic promotion to League A in the Nations League came to an end after Friday's 4-0 defeat by Poland. However, despite the heavy loss in Belfast, they still have a shot at winning promotion from League B for the first time. They take on Bosnia-Herzegovina in a showdown for second place in Group B1 on Tuesday. BBC Sport takes a look at what is at stake in Zenica. How things stand Here's a look at how things stand in Group B1 in the Nations League. With their win in Belfast, Euro 2025-bound Poland secured an automatic return to League A at the first time of asking. That leaves Northern Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina in a shootout on Tuesday to determine who will secure the promotion play-off spot in the group books a promotion play-off with a third-placed team in League means a relegation play-off against a League C side in the can still finish on seven points, but due to their head-to-head record against Northern Ireland (something we will get into in a moment) they cannot move past Tanya Oxtoby's side into second place. What do Northern Ireland need? Northern Ireland's fate is still in their own hands heading into the final is largely down to their dramatic 3-2 win over the Bosnians at Inver Park in short, avoiding defeat in Zenica would be enough to secure second place and not bring any further permutations into if Tanya Oxtoby's side were to lose on Tuesday, then we start moving down the checklist of tiebreakers. While in other competitions it is goal difference that splits the sides, in the Nations League there is different criteria. If teams are level on points, the first determining factor is the number of points in the matches between the sides. In the event Bosnia-Herzegovina win, then it would be a victory apiece and goal difference in the two matches would be the determining the Bosnians were to win by a two-goal margin or more then they would leapfrog Northern Ireland. If things are still level after that, it comes down to goals scored in the two the unlikely event the two sides cannot be separated at this point, which would only occur with a 3-2 win by the hosts, then overall goal difference in all six matches comes into currently hold the advantage here on minus three, one better off than Northern we said, the cleanest outcome is Northern Ireland win or draw on Tuesday, but the Nations League is known for its drama and there will be plenty of tension in the game.
