Republic of Ireland defender Caitlin Hayes believes that the current Ireland women's team is more than capable of reaching a higher level. This week, Eileen Gleeson's side sealed promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League after a tough 1-0 win in Albania in horrid wet conditions. Denise O'Sullivan's 88th-minute strike was the difference between the sides on Tuesday.
The win now means that Ireland has made it out of Group 1 of League B with two matches to spare. They play Hungary on December 1 and Northern Ireland on December 5.
Promotion to League A next year ahead of the 2025 qualifiers will give Ireland a massive chance of getting to another major finals in 2025. Seeding for these qualifiers begins in April.
Hayes, who played in the Albania win, claims the target for Ireland now should be the top two and automatic qualification for League A. She believes that the squad is more than capable of achieving it.
"Wherever this team wants to go, they can go. It’s great to be around new mindsets and mindsets that are aiming to get as high as they can go. There is no team that this team would fear. Obviously, we respect all but fear none. Even in Group A, there is not a team that we would take a step back against. That is a great mentality to have, and it’s a great team to be a part of. We work hard for each other, and ultimately, we know what the shirt is worth, and we’ll put it all on the line for it,"she said.
If you were wondering why Ireland’s game against Albania yesterday went into a weather delay, watch Denise O’Sullivan’s tiktok below 😂🌧️ pic.twitter.com/q92UKKt9is
— Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6) November 1, 2023
"League A is where this team deserves to be; we deserve to be in that Group A, we’ve worked hard for it, and I can’t think of a better place for Ireland to be than in Group A and to compete with the best. We are the best, and we’ll prove that on the stages that we are lucky enough to play on when those draws happen.
“Everybody works together; everybody wants the best for this shirt and for this nation. Ultimately, that’s a very exciting thing to be a part of, and it’s humbling to be selected to be part of that team.”
Ireland's game against Albania was called off for an hour because of the torrential rain in Shkodër. There had been rumours that the game was going to be called off, but the game resumed after the delay.
Hayes added that it was great to see the team battle the elements to come away with a vital 1-0 away win.
"It was nothing like I've ever experienced before, but credit to the team; they kept full focus, and we came away with the three points, which was the most important thing."
"When you've got Katie McCabe, who is a Ballon d'Or nominee, and she gets tackled by a puddle, it's pretty bad. I'm just grateful for the game to be over, grateful for the three points, and grateful to be moving on with this team unbeaten in the Nations League."
