90 minutes to do it against Oman – and that’s your lot.
Alright, this is probably a bit of a damp squib. The Irish team were playing France in tournament football only two months ago, they all have pre-seasons under their belts and a big clash two years out from the World Cup is hardly essential.
So Martin O’Neill and the FAI have opted to welcome Oman back to Dublin to ease the side into their opening qualifier with Serbia on Monday night.
That game in Belgrade is huge but it might not reflect entirely on Wednesday evening at the Aviva with this game set aside primarily as a goodbye to a legend.
Robbie Keane, take a bow https://t.co/9043cFS9bW
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 24, 2016
An away trip to Eastern Europe to start Ireland’s group campaign is a daunting prospect but, first, the visit of the Arabian outfit.
With a squad of 28 selected for both international games, there could be a lot of changes made during the game with Oman but O’Neill has decided on the 11 to start the match anyway.
And it will be the last time that Robbie Keane leads the team out as he has been given a starting place. Can he cap a legendary career off with a goal?
FULL 🇮🇪 XI: Westwood (GK), Christie, Wilson, Clark, Brady, Quinn, Whelan, Arter, Long, KEANE (C), Walters. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/bKSDgYEuke
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) August 31, 2016
The new GAA Hour football podcast is here. Listen to Colm Parkinson, Senan Connell, and Barry Cahill dissect a classic between Dublin and Kerry. Subscribe here on iTunes.
