The international friendly between Ireland and Switzerland is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26th, kicking off at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, at 7.45pm. The match can be viewed on Virgin Media Two with coverage beginning from 7pm.
Joe Hodge and Andy Moran, following their successful performances in the under-21s 7-0 victory over San Marino, have been brought up to the team. After the 0-0 tie against Belgium, no fresh injuries were reported. With the 3-4-3 formation yielding good results in the previous match, the acting manager, John O’Shea, might stick to a similar line-up. However, there could be chances for other squad members, such as Jake O’Brien who is yet to make his debut.
Switzerland’s team will be missing their top-notch goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, due to injury.
The Irish team consists of goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu of Southampton, Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool, and Mark Travers of AFC Bournemouth. In defence, we have Seamus Coleman from Everton, Matt Doherty of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nathan Collins from Brentford, Andrew Omobamidele from Nottingham Forest, Burnley’s Dara O’Shea, Lyon’s Jake O’Brien, Robbie Brady from Preston North End, Festy Ebosele of Udinese, and Ryan Manning from Southampton.
The midfield includes Josh Cullen of Burnley, Jason Knight from Bristol City, Southampton’s Will Smallbone, Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath, Callum O’Dowda of Cardiff City, Mark Sykes from Bristol City, Finn Azaz of Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion’s Mikey Johnston, Wolves’s Joe Hodge, and Andrew Moran from Blackburn Rovers.
The following forwards have been shortlisted: Brighton and Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson, Adam Idah from Celtic, Michael Obafemi from Millwall (on loan from Burnley), Sammie Szmodics of Blackburn Rovers, and Chiedozie Ogbene from Luton Town.
Switzerland has formulated their squad including goalkeepers like Jonas Omlin who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach, Yvon Mvogo of Lorient, and Young Boys’ David von Ballmoos. The list of defenders is led by Kevin Mbabu from FC Augsburg, Mainz’s Silvan Widmer, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi, and Manuel Akanji from Manchester City. Along with them, we have Ricardo Rodriguez from Torino, Marseille’s Ulisses Garcia, Cédric Zesiger of Wolfsburg and a few others.
Their midfield line-up constitutes Denis Zakaria from Monaco, Bologna’s Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer, Bayer Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka, Lugano’s Uran Bislimi, Chicago Fire’s Xherdan Shaqiri and a few others. The forward positions are taken up by Zeki Amdouni of Burnley, Milan’s Noah Okafor, Lugano’s Renato Steffen, Ruben Vargas from Augsburg, and Dan Ndoye from Bologna.
Reflecting on John O’Shea’s first match as an interim manager, it can be said that he managed to excel in his debut, with accolades coming from Ken Early for his contemporary tactics. Belgium, although a formidable side, couldn’t manage to break the deadlock in the 0-0 draw, with their boss, Dominico Tedesco, indicating Ireland’s formation didn’t give them enough space to penetrate, hence their chances were superior, despite missing out on a penalty.
While O’Shea remains ambiguous about his long-term career plans, the name of the potential incoming manager is reportedly known to Marc Canham, the director of football. However, the name will remain undisclosed until early April due to some ongoing contract-related formalities.
O’Shea was tasked with concentrating solely on two games, he clarified. If his assignement earlier had designated him as the permanent new manager, circumstances might have differed. However, his primary concern was these two matches: O’Shea was asked to supervise and determine the outcome.
What can be expected from an Irish viewpoint?
One would anticipate a performance similar to the encounter against Belgium. Ireland fashioned several excellent opportunities against Belgium, a couple of which Evan Ferguson failed to turn into goals, maintaining his scoring challenges at Brighton. Resuscitating the 19-year-old’s scoring form will be key. Debut appearances from Finn Azaz and Jake O’Brien could potentially be on the cards. Supporters would also value extended game time for crowd-pleaser Mikey Johnston, who was limited to a mere 20 minutes of play against Belgium.
What’s the situation with the Switzerland squad?
Switzerland also experienced a goalless draw against Denmark on Saturday. They ended up in second place in Euro 2024 qualification, trailing behind Romania in what is possibly the simplest group, achieving just one victory in their last seven group matches, ironically against the weakest team – Andorra. As a consequence, their global ranking has dipped to 19, the lowest in over a decade.
This puts their manager, Murat Yakin, elder sibling of infamous Irish adversary Hakan Yakin, in a precarious situation in need of quick results. Their team possesses strong talent, with stand-out figures such as Manuel Akanji of Manchester City, Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen, and Denis Zakaria of Monaco.