IT IS Game Number Six in Group A of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying for the Republic of Ireland as they take on Georgia in Gori on Monday evening. This is a rearranged fixture from September 17, 2021, when COVID restrictions were in place. It was agreed that Ireland would host Georgia on November 30, 2021 (which they won 11-0) and then travel to Georgia in June, 2022.
After completing a 10-day training camp in Antalya, Turkey – which included a 1-0 win over Philippines in an International Friendly – Ireland arrived, via a chartered flight, in Tbilisi, Georgia on Saturday evening. The squad will be based in the Georgian capital before travelling to Gori on match day, where they are targeting three points that would elevate them up to second place in the Group with two games left to play.
This will be the second meeting between Ireland and Georgia at senior women’s level, with the last game ending in a record 11-0 win for Ireland
In the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking update, Ireland moved up to 27th – equalling their highest ever position, first achieved in 2008.
WE'RE READY!!!
🇬🇪 v 🇮🇪
🏆 @FIFAWWC Qualifier
⏰ KO 17:00 (Irish Time)
🏟 Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Gori
📺 LIVE on RTÉ2 / RTÉ Player#GEOIRL | #COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE pic.twitter.com/SmFKHJQ4UN— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) June 27, 2022
TEAM NEWSAll players are fit and available for selection.QUOTESRepublic of Ireland Manager Vera Pauw"We have a full squad to choose from, with no injuries, and that is a huge credit to our backroom staff because players came in from different situations regarding their fitness and whether they were in season or in pre-season. But we have worked hard to build up their fitness during a training camp in Turkey."We feel that we are ready for this game against Georgia. It is a very important game for us with the three points being our target. We know what we have to do and we will have a game-plan that will take everything into account."People should not expect the same situation from when we played Georgia last year because they were missing some players and they are also playing at home in this game. But we are ready; we have trained hard, prepared well and we will go out to win the game."
Republic of Ireland WNT SquadGoalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Grace Moloney (Reading), Naoisha McAloon (Durham)
Defenders: Jess Ziu (Shelbourne), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Manchester United), Claire O’Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Jessie Stapleton (Shelbourne), Éabha O’Mahony (Boston College), Áine O’Gorman (Peamount United), Chloe Mustaki (Shelbourne)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Roma McLaughlin (Connecticut Fusion), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FC Koln), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Stephanie Roche (Peamount United), Saoirse Noonan (Shelbourne)
Dublin , Ireland - 20 October 2021; Katie McCabe and Niamh Fahey (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Republic of Ireland WNT CapsGoalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (13 caps / 4 clean sheets), Grace Moloney (5 caps / 0 clean sheets), Megan Walsh (1 cap / 0 clean sheets), Naoisha McAloon (0 caps / 0 clean sheets)
Defenders: Jess Ziu (9 caps / 0 goals), Niamh Fahey (103 caps / 0 goals), Louise Quinn (95 caps / 13 goals), Diane Caldwell (85 caps / 3 goals), Jessie Stapleton (1 cap / 0 goals), Claire O'Riordan (17 caps / 0 goals), Éabha O'Mahony (4 caps / 0 goals), Áine O'Gorman (112 caps / 13 goals), Chloe Mustaki (3 caps / 0 goals),
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (62 caps / 14 goals), Denise O'Sullivan (93 caps / 17 goals), Megan Connolly (36 caps / 3 goals), Ruesha Littlejohn (66 caps / 6 goals), Jamie Finn (12 caps / 0 goals), Ciara Grant (16 caps / 0 goals), Lily Agg (1 cap / 1 goals), Lucy Quinn (10 caps / 2 goals), Roma McLaughlin (8 caps / 0 goals)
Forwards: Heather Payne (26 caps / 1 goal), Amber Barrett (29 caps / 4 goals), Abbie Larkin (3 caps / 0 goals), Stephanie Roche (56 caps / 15 goals), Saoirse Noonan (3 caps / 1 goal)
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying - Group A Results21 October, 2021 | Republic of Ireland 0-1 Sweden26 October, 2021 | Finland 1-2 Republic of Ireland25 November, 2021 | Republic of Ireland 1-1 Slovakia30 November, 2021 | Republic of Ireland 11-0 Georgia12 April, 2022 | Sweden 1-1 Republic of Ireland Fixtures27 June, 2022 | Georgia v Republic of Ireland1 September, 2022 | Republic of Ireland v Finland6 September, 2022 | Slovakia v Republic of Ireland Goalscorers4 – Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan2 – Megan Connolly1 – Amber Barrett, Kyra Carusa, Saoirse Noonan, Lucy Quinn, Maiko Bebia OG Clean Sheets1 – Courtney Brosnan
FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying Round - Group AGeorgia v Republic of IrelandKO 17:00 (20:00 Local Time)Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, GoriLIVE on RTÉ2 / RTÉ PlayerReferee: Meliz Özçiğdem (Turkey)Assistant Referees: Deybet Gök, Mürvet Yavuztürk (Turkey)Fourth Official: Neslihan Muratdagi (Turkey)#GEOIRL | #COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE
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