The international friendly football match between the Republic of Ireland and Belgium is scheduled for Saturday March 23rd. Kick-off is at 5pm at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Tune in to Virgin Media Two from 4pm to catch the coverage.
In team news, Ireland will be without Liam Scales and Troy Parrott due to injuries. No replacements have been drafted in by interim manager, John O’Shea, for this friendly or the upcoming game against Switzerland on Tuesday. First-time caps are expected for Jake O’Brien (Lyon), Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers), and Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough).
On the Belgian side, key figures including Roma striker Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, and Thibaut Courtois, who plays as a goalkeeper for Real Madrid, are unavailable due to injuries.
The Irish squad includes goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth), and defenders such as Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) among others. Their midfield comprises Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City) and others while forwards include Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion) and Adam Idah (Celtic) to name a few.
Belgium’s goalkeeping team includes Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Arnaud Bodart (Standard Liege), and Thomas Kaminski (Luton Town).
The following names form the rosters of various roles:
Defence: Jan Vertonghen and Zeno Debast (both of Anderlecht), Thomas Meunier (Trabzonspor), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Wout Faes (Leicester City), and Koni De Winter (Genoa).
Midfield: Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Orel Mangala (Lyon), Amadou Onana (Everton), Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg), Arthur Vermeeren (Atletico Madrid).
Attack: Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Jérémy Doku (Manchester City), Loïs Openda (RB Leipzig), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Johan Bakayoko (PSV).
In related news, John O’Shea, the current interim manager of Ireland, is likely to be replaced, with Marc Canham, Director of Football, already having a replacement in mind. O’Shea may continue as an assistant to the incoming manager. The remaining interim team includes Paddy McCarthy from Crystal Palace, Glenn Whelan and Brian Kerr.
Keen observers should take note of the recent additions to the Ireland team. The trio brings a wealth of talent, with goals aplenty from midfield and defence: Sammie Szmodics will finally represent Ireland, standing as top scorer in both the Championship and FA Cup. In midfield, Finn Azaz boasts nine goals for Plymouth and Middlesbrough, whereas Jake O’Brien from Lyon has scored four goals in a defensive role in Ligue 1.
Mikey Johnston, currently playing on loan at West Brom from Celtic, is arguably the standout performer in form. His impressive goal scoring spree of six in the last eight games has given a much-needed boost to the Baggies’ Championship promotion campaign. His smooth dribbling skills are also noteworthy. Chiedozie Ogbene’s good form for Luton further alleviates the pressure on Evan Ferguson, who’s currently experiencing a goal drought at Brighton.
So how does the Belgian team fare?
Even without key players like De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, and the recently retired Eden Hazard, Belgium stands sturdy at fourth place in the world rankings. The dynamic duo Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard, who play as wingers for the Premier League title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal respectively, are especially noteworthy. Aston Villa player Youri Tielemans, renowned for his FA Cup final match-winning goal, is proving to be in good form. Domenico Tedesco, despite Lukaku’s absence, has no reason to fret thanks to the exceptional form of forward Loïs Openda. Openda has marked an impressive record of 23 goals in just 36 games for RB Leipzig this season.