Northern Ireland v Belarus (15/11/2024)

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE - GROUP C3 NORTHERN IRELAND V BELARUS

NATIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM AT WINDSOR PARK OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME | 15/11/2024 | ISAAC PRICE £5

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02. 03. 04. 07. 10. 12. 18. 27. 34. 41.

TEAMS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

MICHAEL O’NEILL PATRICK NELSON

NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD

DION CHARLES DID YOU KNOW? THE OPPONENTS BRODIE SPENCER

INTERNATIONAL RECORD

IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT: CONRAD KIRKWOOD CHIEF EXECUTIVE: PATRICK NELSON ADVERTISING: IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PICTURES: PRESS EYE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION BY IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION NATIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM, DONEGALL AVE, BELFAST BT12 5LW

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS: DANNY LYNCH EDITOR: NIGEL TILSON

DESIGN: MADCOLOUR.COM PRINT: MADCOLOUR.COM

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VIEWS IN THIS PROGRAMME DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.

IRISHFA.COM

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NORTHERN IRELAND GREEN & WHITE

BELARUS ALL RED

MANAGER M. O’NEILL

HEAD COACH C. ALÓS

B. PEACOCK-FARRELL (BIRMINGHAM CITY) P. CHARLES (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY) L. SOUTHWOOD (BOLTON WANDERERS)

P. PAVLYUCHENKO (FC PAKHTAKOR (UZB) M. PLOTNIKOV (FC TORPEDO-BELAZ) F. LAPOUKHOV (FC DINAMO MINSK) A. MARTYNOVICH (FC KAIRAT (KAZ) D. PALIAKOU (FC DINAMO MINSK) S. POLITEVICH (FC DINAMO MINSK) K. PIACHENIN (FC KRYLYA SOVETOV SAMARA (RUS) Y. KOVALEV (FC BALTIKA KALININGRAD (RUS) Z. VOLKAU (FC ARSENAL TULA (RUS) S. KARPOVICH (FC NEMAN GRODNO) P. ZABELIN (FC SOKOL SARATOV (RUS) Y. PARKHOMENKA (FC NEMAN GRODNO) V. PIGAS (FC DINAMO MINSK) D. PRISCHEPA (FC ROTOR VOLGOGRAD (RUS) V. KLIMOVICH (FC DIOSGYORI (HUN) M. EBONH (FC ASTANA (KAZ) Y. YABLONSKI (FC ASTERAS (GRE) N. KORZUN (FC YELIMAY SEMEY (KAZ) V. GROMYKO (FC KAIRAT (KAZ) V. BOCHEROV (FC UFA (RUS) A. SELIAVA (FC DINAMO MINSK) V. LISAKOVICH (FC BALTIKA KALININGRAD (RUS) D. ANTSILEUSKI (FC HAPOEL HAIFA (ISR) M. KIREEV (FC LIERSE (BEL) Y. SHIKAVKA (FC KORONA KIELCE (POL) G. BARKOVSKI (FC DINAMO BREST)

J. LEWIS (SAO PAULO (BRA)* D. BALLARD (SUNDERLAND) C. BROWN (OXFORD UNITED)

C. BRADLEY (LIVERPOOL) T. HUME (SUNDERLAND) B. SPENCER (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN) K. BALMER (MOTHERWELL) R. McCONVILLE (BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION) G. SAVILLE (MILLWALL) J. THOMPSON (STOKE CITY) A. McCANN (PRESTON NORTH END) S. CHARLES (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY)** I. PRICE (STANDARD LIEGE (BEL) P. SMYTH (QUEENS PARK RANGERS) J. DEVENNY (CRYSTAL PALACE) E. GALBRAITH (LEYTON ORIENT) B. LYONS (KILMARNOCK) C. BOYD-MUNCE (ST MIRREN) J. MAGENNIS (EXETER CITY) D. CHARLES (BOLTON WANDERERS) C. MARSHALL (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN)*** J. REID (STEVENAGE) L. BONIS (ADO DEN HAAG (NED)

* ON LOAN FROM NEWCASTLE UNITED ** ON LOAN FROM SOUTHAMPTON *** ON LOAN FROM WEST HAM UNITED

MATCH DAY OFFICIALS REFEREE : LUÍS GODINHO (POR)

ASSISTANT REFEREE 1 : RUI TEIXEIRA (POR) ASSISTANT REFEREE 2 : PEDRO MOTA (POR) 4TH OFFICIAL : RICARDO BAIXINHO (POR) VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE : HUGO MIGUEL (POR) ASSISTANT VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE : CATARINA CAMPOS (POR)

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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME Even the most optimistic Northern Ireland supporter could not have predicted the result against Bulgaria last month.

The way the team played, the score, Isaac Price’s hat-trick and the atmosphere left me with a smile on my face for days. The Amalgamation put in some excellent work to try to improve the Windsor Roar. It had clearly made a difference even before the first goal was scored. It was a memorable evening for everyone in the green and white. The 5-0 win was remarkable given Bulgaria had not suffered a loss in their previous nine games and it means Northern Ireland now top their Nations League group with seven points. Tonight we welcome Belarus to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for another encounter in League C Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League. My apologies to fans for the uncertainty around the fixture but please be assured that we were working hard behind the scenes with all the parts of government to make sure that the game was played in Belfast. Belarus have yet to qualify for a major tournament and are currently ranked 97th in the world. Our draw in Hungary against them was disappointing but showed that the White Wings have a resolute quality when needed. They are unbeaten in the group so far and have only conceded one goal. It will be an important game. Since our last C3 match Andy Waterworth’s Under-17s have enjoyed two great results against Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Despite a loss to Lithuania, they qualified for the elite round of U17 Euro 2025 qualifiers next spring having topped the group. The future for

Northern Ireland looks bright based on the strength of this young squad. Prior to tonight’s game, Irish FA chaplain Richard Donnan and I met with the relatives of Aaron Ferguson and Ivan Gillespie. These were two dedicated supporters who have passed away. They were both highly respected as founders of Holywood NI Supporters’ Club and served as the club’s first chair and treasurer. I recall catching up with Aaron on a trip to Estonia and stayed in the same hotel as Ivan at any away game in Norway. In a month when Acts of Remembrance are in our minds, it is particularly apt that a Memorial Wall for fans has been created. It was an honour and a privilege to be there for the inauguration. My thanks goes to the members of Holywood NISC, and Marc Vannucci in particular, for their co-operation with the Irish FA which was instrumental in taking the project forward. Further details about the process of adding the name of a relative to the Memorial Wall will be published soon. Thanks in advance to those of you who are making the journey to Luxembourg to cheer the team on. It was not that long ago that we were there for a friendly so we will know our way around. I look forward to catching up with a few of you in the lead-up to the game. In the meantime please enjoy tonight’s game. CONRAD KIRKWOOD PRESIDENT IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

IRISHFA.COM

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It’s fair to say that the players are feeling very positive ahead of our final games of the year.

The victory against Bulgaria in Belfast last month was excellent. We played some great football and scored some fine goals. And the atmosphere in the stadium was electric. We are not going to win every game 5-0, however a result like that certainly provides a huge confidence boost. Over the past 12 months we have enjoyed solid home victories against Denmark, Luxembourg and Bulgaria. The performances in all of those games were really good, and I believe good home form is a must in any qualification campaign if you want to make an impact in your group. Another home win tonight would move us a step closer to winning League C Group 3 and getting promoted to League B for the next edition of the Nations League. The situation is in our hands. We want to progress and get to the next level of Nations League football. Reaching that next tier of international football would see us compete and test ourselves against the teams you have to finish ahead of if you’re going to qualify for major tournaments. With that in mind, we will be aiming to take the game to the Belarusians tonight. It was frustrating to come away from our match against Belarus in Hungary last month with only a single point. We dominated the ball for long spells and created plenty of chances. Tonight the players will be striving to once again create opportunities – and to be more clinical in front of goal. Belarus are very much focused on the team collective. They have not lost a game in the group to date - one win, three draws - and I

expect them to be strong defensively, just like they were last month. They have experienced players who know how to soak up pressure and carve out chances on the counter attack. In the game in Hungary I was pleased with our build-up play and the players’ willingness to get on the ball and make things happen. I was also pleased with our clean sheet at the ZTE Arena and our clean sheet against Bulgaria last month. Naturally, I will be looking for another shutout tonight. A win in our last home fixture this year would give us 10 points in League C Group 3. And another victory would also give us great momentum going in to our game away to Luxembourg on Monday. If we win that one then we are guaranteed to top the group. I am delighted that tonight’s game will be played in front of a packed National Football Stadium at Windsor Park. At one stage it looked like we may have to play this ‘home’ game at a neutral venue, with a limited number of supporters cheering us on. I think that would have been unfair on both our players and fans, so well done to those who worked hard behind the scenes to make this game in Belfast happen. The atmosphere in the stadium during the Bulgaria match was superb and hopefully the players will be able to spark a similar atmosphere with another high intensity performance against Belarus.

Enjoy the game! MICHAEL O’NEILL NORTHERN IRELAND MANAGER

IRISHFA.COM

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adidas.com/football

GOOD EVENING Welcome to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for our final senior men’s international fixture of 2024.

Tonight we face Belarus in the UEFA Nations League and the stakes are high. We sit top of the League C Group 3 table and we have promotion back to League B firmly in our sights. Tonight’s match and our final group game in Luxembourg on Monday evening will decide it all, so we approach these games quietly confident of our destiny. Of course this match against Belarus does not come without some controversy. The UK Government has indicated that it does not believe Russian or Belarusian teams should be able to compete in international competition while the illegal invasion of Ukraine continues, however UEFA has allowed Belarusian clubs and international teams to maintain their places in competitions. Not fulfilling tonight’s fixture would have put our association at risk of both financial and sporting sanctions, which would have put us in a very difficult position. Sport should always do its best to rise above politics and we in this country know more than most how important sport can be in healing divisions and bringing people together. In other news, it has been a great couple of weeks for our international teams. Our men’s Under-17 squad under Andy Waterworth came top of their UEFA U17 Euro 2025 qualifying group (round one) with home wins against Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

Even a final group match defeat against Lithuania failed to dampen the feelgood factor for this team, who have progressed to the elite round of the qualifiers. It’s the third year in a row that a Northern Ireland U17 team has done this. The players knew also that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough, with Michael O’Neill and Tommy Wright watching on with keen interest at that final group match, and Gareth McAuley working with the squad throughout the mini tournament. Tanya Oxtoby’s senior women have made it through to a play-off final for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and will play Norway home and away for one of the coveted tickets to the finals. In round one of the play-offs, after two legs against Croatia and with penalties on the horizon, Lauren Wade hit a superb winning goal in front of the Kop to set up the encounter with the Norwegians. The home leg of the final will be at Inver Park in Larne on Friday 29 November with the return leg being staged at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo four days later. Enjoy the game tonight!

PATRICK NELSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

IRISHFA.COM

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NORTHERN IRELAND GREEN & WHITE

JAMAL LEWIS

POS: CLUB: GOALKEEPER BIRMINGHAM CITY BAILEY PEACOCK-FARRELL

PIERCE CHARLES

LUKE SOUTHWOOD

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

GOALKEEPER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

GOALKEEPER BOLTON WANDERERS

DEFENDER SAO PAULO (BRA)

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

26

39

0

28

48

0

19

2

0

26

1

0

ON LOAN FROM NEWCASTLE UNITED

DANIEL BALLARD

CIARON BROWN

CONOR BRADLEY

TRAI HUME

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

DEFENDER SUNDERLAND

DEFENDER OXFORD UNITED

MIDFIELDER LIVERPOOL

DEFENDER SUNDERLAND

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

25

26

4

26

22

0

21

21

3

22

17

0

BRODIE SPENCER

KOFI BALMER

RUAIRI McCONVILLE

GEORGE SAVILLE

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

DEFENDER HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

DEFENDER MOTHERWELL

DEFENDER BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

MIDFIELDER MILLWALL

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

20

11

1

24

0

0

19

0

0

31

54

0

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ISAAC PRICE

POS: CLUB: MIDFIELDER STOKE CITY JORDAN THOMPSON

ALISTAIR McCANN

SHEA CHARLES

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

MIDFIELDER PRESTON NORTH END

MIDFIELDER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

MIDFIELDER STANDARD LIEGE (BEL)

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

21

16

2

27

38

0

24

26

1

20

21

0

ON LOAN FROM SOUTHAMPTON

PAUL SMYTH

JUSTIN DEVENNY

ETHAN GALBRAITH

BRAD LYONS

POS: CLUB: MIDFIELDER ST MIRREN CAOLAN BOYD-MUNCE

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

MIDFIELDER QUEENS PARK RANGERS

MIDFIELDER CRYSTAL PALACE

MIDFIELDER LEYTON ORIENT

MIDFIELDER KILMARNOCK

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

27

14

2

21

0

0

23

3

0

27

2

0

24

1

0

LEE BONIS

JOSH MAGENNIS

DION CHARLES

CALLUM MARSHALL

JAMIE REID

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

FORWARD ADO DEN HAAG (NED)

FORWARD EXETER CITY

FORWARD BOLTON WANDERERS

FORWARD HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

FORWARD STEVENAGE

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

25

1

0

34

81

12

29

26

3

19

8

0

30

6

1

ON LOAN FROM WEST HAM UTD

IRISHFA.COM

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DI DION CHARLES CHARLES SEES STEADY PROGRESS Dion Charles believes Northern Ireland’s young guns have already shown what they’re capable of during the current Nations League campaign. NIR V BLR

SQUAD NO: 10 \ NI APP: 26 CLUBS: BLACKPOOL 0, AFC FYLDE 52, SKELMERSDALE UNITED (LOAN), FLEETWOOD TOWN 0, FC HALIFAX TOWN (LOAN) 19, SOUTHPORT 60, ACCRINGTON STANLEY 81, BOLTON WANDERERS 111

PLACE OF BIRTH: PRESTON HEIGHT: 178CM WEIGHT: 67KG

DATE OF BIRTH: 07-10-1995

POSITION: FORWARD

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DION WORDS: MARK McINTOSH IRISHFA.COM 13

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DION CHARLES CHARLES SEES STEADY PROGRESS

And when the news broke that tonight’s fixture would be played in front of the home fans, Charles admits it was a major boost. He said: “We’ll take it one game at a time but of course we are happy so far. It’ll be brilliant to be back at Windsor for the Belarus game after the last result (against Bulgaria) and hopefully we can replicate it, but we can’t get too carried away. It’s still early days in a lot of the players’ development. “It’s definitely vital that this game is being played at home. When we played Belarus away from home it was behind closed doors. Our fans really do give us extra motivation to do well.” At 29 Charles is one of the senior members of the squad, although he believes he still has a lot to learn on the international stage. “I’m one of the older ones, however I’ve not got that many caps at the minute, and I’m still learning on the job. “It’s been great from the minute I came into the squad. International football is so different to club football. It’s that cutting edge in both boxes. ”You’re playing against better strikers, defenders and midfielders, so you have to concentrate because if you give the ball away in a dangerous area it usually leads to a shot on goal.” After this month international football will be parked until FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in March and the striker’s full focus will be on trying to win promotion to the Championship with Bolton Wanderers, who are currently nine points adrift of leaders Wycombe Wanderers in EFL League One. “Our performances haven’t been great. We are one of the big teams in the division and we have not got the results that we would have wanted,” said Charles, who has bagged seven goals this season. “Personally I’m doing my job, scoring the goals, but I just want us to start getting a few more points on the board. “I didn’t realise what a big club Bolton are until I actually signed there. Promotion has to be the aim. There’s an expectancy on your shoulders every game, and you are expected to win most games, so it has been tough so far.”

The retirements of long-serving stars Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas and Jonny Evans have forced Michael O’Neill to give a host of younger players their chance at the same time. The Northern Ireland manager admits many of them have been introduced to the senior panel sooner than he had envisaged, however they are certainly warming to international football. On the eve of the latest Nations League campaign’s conclusion his team sit at the top of League C Group 3. Ahead of tonight’s showdown with Belarus at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, Bolton striker Charles and his team-mates are a point ahead of their opponents at the summit with two games remaining. “The last few results have been brilliant for us. But we’re still a young squad and still learning and developing. We’re building something really good. We can’t get too carried away, however it’s looking promising,” said Charles, who has 26 caps for his country to date. “There has been steady progress I’d say since Michael (O’Neill) came back into the job and you can see the impact he’s had and the results we’ve had. Hopefully the type of performances we’ve been putting in continue, and continue to improve. “It was a case of needs must when so many younger players were thrown in at the deep end and that’s a part of the industry. It’s sink or swim and if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. “The best way to get experience is on the job so when we come to maybe not the World Cup qualifiers but the next Euro campaign the majority of the squad could be on 20, 30 or 40 caps and that will put us in a good place experience-wise.” Last month’s sensational 5-0 hammering of Bulgaria, inspired by a memorable Isaac Price hat trick, was a night the Green and White Army will talk about for years to come.

IRISHFA.COM

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DID YOU KNOW? Isaac Price’s stunning treble against Bulgaria in October

WORDS: MARSHALL GILLESPIE

meant he became the 11th player in Northern Ireland’s history to score a hat-trick and the first since David Healy in March 2007. At 21 years and 20 days he became the youngest player to score three goals in a full international, beating the long-standing record held by Olphie Stanfield who was 21 years and 346 days when he scored his hat-trick against Wales on 7 February 1891.

Last month Isaac Price became only the fifth player to score a hat-trick at the National Stadium/ Windsor Park for Northern Ireland. The other players to achieve the feat were: George Best v Cyprus ECQ – 21 April 1971 Billy McAdams v West Germany WCQ – 26 Oct 1960 Johnny Crossan v Albania WCQ – 7 May 1965 David Healy v Spain ECQ – 6 Sep 2006

There have been more players born in September (77) to have represented Ireland/Northern Ireland in the past 142 years than any other month of the year. The most popular date for full Northern Ireland internationals to be born on is 26 September, which is also the date on which last month’s hat-trick hero Isaac Price was born!

When Conor Bradley skippered Northern

The emphatic 5-0 victory over Bulgaria was only the fourth time in Northern Ireland’s history that they have managed to score five goals in a full international fixture. The other occasions were:

Ireland against Belarus in October he became the first Liverpool player since Billy Lacey on 22 October 1921 to captain Ireland/ Northern Ireland. Bradley also became the sixth youngest player to wear the captain’s armband since 1882.

5-3 v Austria (h) ECQ – 15 Nov 1995 5-0 v Faroe Islands (n) ECQ – 11 Sep 1991

5-0 v Cyprus (h) ECQ - 21 May 1971

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Josh Magennis’ 12th goal for his country in the 5-0 Nations League victory over Bulgaria meant that he became Northern Ireland’s joint sixth highest goalscorer of all time. The list

now reads: David Healy Kyle Lafferty Colin Clarke Steven Davis Billy Gillespie Gerry Armstrong

36 20 13 13 13 12 12 12 12 12

When Pierce Charles made his senior international debut last month he was aged just 19 years and 84 days and became the fifth youngest goalkeeper to win a full cap for Northern Ireland. The top four youngest are: Shaw Gillespie 18 years and 35 days v Wales (a) 27 Feb 1886 John Clugston 18 years and 204 days v Wales (a) 3 March 1888 Ronnie Briggs 19 years and 13 days v Wales (a) - 11 Apr 1962 Pat Jennings 18 years and 308 days v Wales (a) 15 Apr 1964

Joe Bambrick

Ian Dowie

Josh Magennis Jimmy Quinn

When Pierce and Shea Charles played in the scoreless draw against Belarus in Hungary they became the 23rd set of brothers to win senior caps for Ireland/Northern Ireland since 1882. The first set of brothers to achieve this feat were William and Willoughby Hamilton who were both capped just once when they played in an 8-2 defeat to Wales at the Ulster Grounds in Belfast in April 1885. When Pierce Charles and Lee Bonis both made their senior Northern Ireland debuts against Belarus in Hungary last month, they became the 760th and 761st players to win a full cap for Ireland/Northern Ireland since 1882 respectively.

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles became the first Northern Ireland goalkeeper to keep two clean sheets in his first two senior international appearances over 90 minutes. Roy Carroll did manage to keep two clean sheets in his opening two games, though in both matches he was used as a second half substitute.

IRISHFA.COM

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MAIK TAYLOR’S BEST XI

Andy Greeves invites former Northern Ireland internationals to choose their best 11. The line-up can include players past and present and not necessarily former team-mates. Here Maik Taylor chooses his squad…

GK – EDWIN VAN DER SAR I’ve worked with some top goalkeepers like Roy Carroll, Ben Foster and Joe Hart, but Edwin van der Sar tops the lot considering what he achieved in his career and his ability. LB – JONNY EVANS Liam Ridgewell did fantastically well for us at left back for Birmingham but I need to find room for Jonny Evans because I can’t leave him out of the team. Jonny traditionally plays centre back, but he can play anywhere along the backline and he’s played left back for Northern Ireland before, so I’m going to put him in there. CB – CHRIS COLEMAN I played with Matt Upson at Birmingham, who was a great defender, however I’m going to go with Chris Coleman as my left-sided centre back. I played with Chris at Fulham. He was an absolute colossus at the back. CB – AARON HUGHES My right-sided centre half is Aaron Hughes. I spent a lot of my international career playing behind Aaron and he was a fantastic player. He had great pace and read the game so well. RB – STEPHEN CARR For this position I thought about Steve Finnan, who I played with at Fulham, but I’m going to go with Stephen Carr from my Birmingham days. He was a great professional and a wonderful club captain. LM – CHRIS BRUNT Brunty had the hardest shot I ever faced in football and the best left foot. I used to hate playing against him in small-sided games. He could deliver the ball as well as someone like David Beckham at times. He

CM – STEVEN DAVIS I have to get ‘Mr Northern Ireland’ in there! What a fantastic career he’s had. He is such a fantastic pro and he has deserved everything that has come his way. I think I played in his debut match and I’ve watched his career go from strength to strength ever since. RM – KEITH GILLESPIE Seb Larsson was brilliant during my time at Birmingham City, however my right winger is going to be another Northern Ireland man – Keith Gillespie. He was a player with so much energy who had great ability on the ball and was able to deliver incredible crosses. FW – LOUIS SAHA Louis was not just the best goalscorer I played with but also the best player. He was lightning quick and could leap higher than anyone, while his finishing ability was incredible. He was key when Fulham won the Championship (then the First Division) in 2000 01. He went on to play for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and I think that speaks volumes for just how good he was. FW – DAVID HEALY I wanted to get Matt Le Tissier into my starting XI as technically he is one of the best players I have ever played with. But for what he did in a Northern Ireland shirt I can’t leave out ‘Sir David’! He scored so many goals for Northern Ireland and we’ll never forget the Euro 2008 qualifiers when he scored a then record 13 goals in the campaign. SUBS ROY CARROLL – Roy was a top goalkeeper. STEVE FINNAN – He emerged as a fantastic player during my time at Fulham. SEBASTIAN LARSSON – Seb was a real livewire for Birmingham. DAVID DUNN – David was an excellent midfield technician. MATT LE TISSIER – Matt was so close to making my starting XI.

really was that good. CM – BARRY FERGUSON

Barry would be my holding midfielder. I only had a year or two with him at Birmingham City but he was so effective in the holding midfield role. He oozed quality on the ball and was able to find time and space and he never gave the ball away.

IRISHFA.COM

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WORDS: WILLIAM CAMPBELL

WELL, WERE YOU THERE?

MICHAEL McGOVERN THWARTS GERMANY’S THOMAS MULLER IN PARIS IN 2016

Were you there to see Isaac Price’s smashing hat-trick against Bulgaria? Did you bore your workmates/classmates/ family with the details the next day?

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(for any purists reading this England won the game 1-0 with a disputed goal by that arch goal poacher Alan ‘Sniffer’ Clarke, after a blatant handball by Manchester City’s Francis Lee; this just goes to show that football fans with a grudge have long memories). Let’s come a little more up to date and two games that stand out for me as ‘I was there’ moments. Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted Northern Ireland in September 2004 in a World Cup qualification match. You may recall the excitement: Michael Hughes and Robbie Savage being sent off after nine minutes, Jeff Whitley scoring after 11 mins and then David Healy scoring and being sent off for his celebrations by a hapless Italian referee. In the 10 v 9 match that ensued Wales scored twice, through John Hartson and Robert Earnshaw, and both teams had late chances to win it. I remember coming out of the game on that balmy September night bathed in sweat, lacking voice and physically drained. A definite ‘I was there’ moment. Finally, my thoughts move on to Paris in 2016. Not the lame duck against a Gareth Bale inspired Wales, but the clincher against Germany a few days earlier. Yes, the Michael McGovern match. It remains with me for the drama, for the atmosphere the fans generated, and for the hope that following the 1-0 defeat our journey had the possibility of continuing (depending on other results). Big Michael was superb. No matter what the Germans threw at us/him he managed to stop it, with hands, body, legs. Eventually only a miskick from Mario Gomez broke our hearts, but what an occasion. The fans sang and sang and remained long after the final whistle. Even German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger acknowledged the boisterous Northern Ireland fans after the match. That was one day I was proud to be able to say ‘I was there’. Maybe tonight will give us more thrills and memorable moments? Let’s hope so and in years to come you can say ‘Northern Ireland v Belarus… I was there’.

Did you witness the first hat-trick by a Northern Ireland player in Belfast since David Healy put the mighty Spain to the sword back in 2006? What an experience, and what a night. It got me thinking about other ‘I was there’ matches, the ones which, in the words of the late Malcolm Brodie, would be ‘seared into our minds’. [Editor: Is this just an excuse to reminisce about old matches? Me: Yes!] If we take as read the obvious candidates – Ninian Park 1980, Valencia 1982, Wembley 1985, Healy 2005 and 2006, Kings of Lyon 2016 – I wonder what other Northern Ireland games deserve their place in the pantheon of greatness? Here’s my quirky guide to the matches we should have been to and often pretend we attended. Let’s start with a match I would have loved to have been at. It is spoken about in revered tones: Northern Ireland 1 Scotland 0 in 1967. This is THE George Best international, the match in which he destroyed Scotland single-handedly, turning Celtic’s European Cup winning full back Tommy Gemmell inside out in the first half before he swapped wings to do the same to Chelsea’s Eddie McCreadie. Dave Clements might have scored the goal, but this was George’s match. Old timers (as Cunningham Peacock would refer to them) are always proud to say ‘I was there’. Sticking with a George Best theme and to a match that I actually was at (albeit as a young boy): Northern Ireland v England in 1971. Why this game, you may ask. Well, this was the time that George flicked the ball over Gordon Banks’ head and ‘scored’ after Banks threw the ball up to kick it. You will remember the scene: a sunny May afternoon, a full Windsor Park and a sparkling moment of George Best magic destroyed by the timidness of a Scottish referee, who the commentary tells us had his back to the incident! No doubt today VAR would have ruled it out anyway as it always seems to do. It remains a classic piece of footballing folklore and, of course, ‘I was there’

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WORDS: IAN PARKER

THE COACH: BELARUS Carlos Alos’s managerial career has taken him all over the world. As a player the former goalkeeper’s career never rose above the fourth tier of Spanish football, but since moving into coaching the Catalan has worked in both club and international football in Europe, Asia and Africa. His interest in coaching was apparent early on. He was still midway through his playing career when he began working with the youth teams at his club, Amposta, and when he later joined Roquetenc - the penultimate club of his playing career - he did so as the player-manager. Alos’s willingness to hit the road first became apparent back in 2010 when his former Amposta boss Josep Gombau (a name familiar to Aston Villa fans as he is now the Under-21s boss for the Villans) invited him to head out to Hong Kong and join him as an assistant at Kitchee SC. The club, now one of the dominant powers in Hong Kong football, had strong ties to Barcelona’s academy system, and that took Alos on to Poland with Escola Varsovia, also part of the Barca network. Alos then remained in Poland to take charge of Pogon Siedlce in January 2015, but it proved to be a short-term appointment and by the August of that year he was clocking up the air miles again, heading to Kazakhstan for a role with that nation’s Under-17s side. He stayed in the central Asian country to take over as FC Kairat boss in early 2017 and guided them to success in the Kazakhstan Cup that year.

Next up was a move to Morocco with FAR Rabat, and then Alos moved on to Qatar SC, then to Cyprus with Enosis Neon Paralimni. A return to the international football arena came in March 2022 when he was named as Rwanda boss, but their bid to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was derailed by a surprise home loss to Mozambique in June 2023, and by August Alos was announcing his resignation via Instagram. That same day he was named as the successor to Georgy Kondratyev as Belarus boss. His first game in charge was a goalless draw away to Andorra during Euro 2024 qualifying, however Alos has had a positive impact. As a former goalkeeper there is little surprise that his emphasis as a coach is on defence, and Belarus are generally stingy at the back - something Northern Ireland discovered in Zalaegerszeg last month. Their problem is making it count at the other end, with the White Wings largely reliant on quick counter attacks and set pieces.

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THE SQUAD: BELARUS

WORDS: IAN PARKER

PAVEL PAVLYUCHENKO GOALKEEPER FC PAKHTAKOR (UZB) AGE 26 CAPS 14 GOALS 0 Pavlyuchenko made his international debut in 2017 when he was with Dinamo Brest - the club where he won the Belarusian league title in 2019 and cup in 2017-18. Since moving to Pakhtakor he has also claimed an Uzbekistan title. ALEKSANDR MARTYNOVICH DEFENDER FC KAIRAT (KAZ) AGE 37 CAPS 78 GOALS 2 The veteran Martynovich made his debut in 2009, becoming captain in 2015. He spent the bulk of his club career in Russia, playing for Krasnodar between 2010 and 2022. He now plays in Kazakhstan.

MAXIM PLOTNIKOV GOALKEEPER FC TORPEDO-BELAZ AGE 26 CAPS 6 GOALS 0

FEDOR LAPOUKHOV GOALKEEPER FC DINAMO MINSK

AGE 21 CAPS 5 GOALS 0 The youngest goalkeeper in the squad, Lapoukhov has quickly established himself as the number one since making his debut in a friendly against Israel in the summer.

Plotnikov has largely served as a back-up for Pavlyuchenko, but did get a run of games during Euro 2024 qualifying. After a time playing in Kazakhstan, he returned to the Belarusian league this

year, first with Arsenal Dzerzhinsk and now with Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino.

DZIANIS PALIAKOU DEFENDER FC DINAMO MINSK AGE 33 CAPS 63 GOALS 2 Paliakou played for his country at the 2012 Olympics after making his international debut in 2011. At club level he is a seven time Belarusian champion with BATE Borisov. He has also won league titles with APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus and Astana in Kazakhstan. YURI KOVALEV DEFENDER FC BALTIKA KALININGRAD (RUS) AGE 31 CAPS 26 GOALS 1 Kovalev made his international debut in 2017, starting a World Cup qualifier against France, a match Belarus lost 2-1. His only international goal came in a 5-0 win over San Marino in 2018.

SERGEI POLITEVICH DEFENDER FC DINAMO MINSK

AGE 34 CAPS 48 GOALS 2 Politevich was also part of the Belarus squad at the London Olympics, although he did not make his senior debut for the national team until 2014. He is a two-time Belarusian champion with Shakhtyor Soligorsk, in 2020 and 2021.

KIRILL PIACHENIN DEFENDER FC KRYLYA SOVETOV SAMARA (RUS) AGE 27 CAPS 33 GOALS 0 Piachenin is comfortable both in defence or midfield. He won the Belarusian Super Cup with Dinamo Brest before leaving for Russian football, first with Orenburg and now with Kayla Sovetov Samara.

ZAKHAR VOLKAU DEFENDER FC ARSENAL TULA (RUS) AGE 27 CAPS 20 GOALS 0 A Belarusian champion with BATE Borisov in 2018, Volkau has had to rebuild his career after being found guilty of involvement in match-fixing in August 2020. Initially banned for two years, his suspension was lifted in September 2021.

SERGEI KARPOVICH DEFENDER FC NEMAN GRODNO

PAVEL ZABELIN DEFENDER

YEGOR PARKHOMENKA DEFENDER FC NEMAN GRODNO

FC SOKOL SARATOV (RUS) AGE 29 CAPS 5 GOALS 0 Zabelin made his debut for Belarus in March of this year in the 0-0 friendly draw against Malta, a month after signing for Russian club Sokol Saratov after a year spent playing in Kazakhstan.

AGE 30 CAPS 14 GOALS 0 The former captain of the Belarus Under-21 squad had to wait for his chance in the senior squad, which eventually came in February 2020 at the age of 25.

AGE 21 CAPS 3 GOALS 0 Parkhomenka made his international debut last November, playing in a 1-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Andorra.

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VADIM PIGAS DEFENDER FC DINAMO MINSK

DMITRI PRISCHEPA DEFENDER

VLADISLAV KLIMOVICH MIDFIELDER FC DIOSGYORI (HUN) AGE 28 CAPS 42 GOALS 1 A Belarusian champion with BATE Borisov in 2014, Klimovich made his international debut in 2017 and scored his only goal to date in a 5-3 friendly loss to Romania.

FC ROTOR VOLGOGRAD (RUS) AGE 23 CAPS 0 GOALS 0 The uncapped Prischepa has played for Belarus at several youth levels, with 14 caps for the Under-21s. He has spent the bulk of his club career in Russia.

AGE 23 CAPS 1 GOALS 0 Pigas made his debut for his country only last month, starting at right back in the 1-1 Nations League draw with Luxembourg.

MAX EBONH MIDFIELDER FC ASTANA (KAZ) AGE 25 CAPS 42 GOALS 5 Ebonh made his Belarus debut in a 1-0 friendly loss to Wales in September 2019. He scored three goals during the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, finding the net against Israel, Kosovo and Switzerland.

YEVGENI YABLONSKI MIDFIELDER FC ASTERAS (GRE)

NIKITA KORZUN MIDFIELDER

FC YELIMAY SEMEY (KAZ) AGE 29 CAPS 28 GOALS 0 Korzun’s international debut came in Belfast when Belarus suffered a 3-0 friendly defeat prior to Northern Ireland leaving for Euro 2016. His club career has included spells with Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine and Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia.

AGE 29 CAPS 39 GOALS 3 Yablonski enjoyed a trophy filled spell with BATE Borisov, lifting the league trophy five times, before leaving Belarus in 2022. Firstly he joined Cypriot club Aris Limassol before switching to Greek club Asteras Tripolis this year.

VALERY GROMYKO MIDFIELDER FC KAIRAT (KAZ) AGE 27 CAPS 19 GOALS 1 Gromyko made his international debut in a 2-0 Euro 2020 qualifying defeat to Germany in June 2019.

VALERY BOCHEROV MIDFIELDER FC UFA (RUS)

ALEKSANDR SELIAVA MIDFIELDER FC DINAMO MINSK

AGE 24 CAPS 16 GOALS 0 After coming through the ranks at BATE Borisov, Bocherov left for Russia in 2023, first for Ural Yekaterinburg before joining Ufa on loan this term.

AGE 32 CAPS 12 GOALS 0 A Belarusian champion with Shakhtar Soligorsk in 2020, Saliva moved to Russia with Rostov in 2022 before signing for Dinamo Minsk last year.

VITALI LISAKOVICH FORWARD FC BALTIKA KALININGRAD (RUS) AGE 26 CAPS 21 GOALS 5 Lisakovich made a decent start to his international career when it came to scoring goals, but he has not found the net since scoring in a World Cup qualifier against Wales in September 2021.

DZMITRI ANTSILEUSKI FORWARD FC HAPOEL HAIFA (ISR) AGE 27 CAPS 17 GOALS 2 Antsileuski has won league titles both in his home country with BATE Borisov and in Georgia with Dinamo Tbilisi. He joined Israeli team Hapoel Haifa this year.

MAX KIREEV FORWARD FC LIERSE (BEL)

YEVGENI SHIKAVKA FORWARD

GERMAN BARKOVSKI FORWARD FC DINAMO BREST AGE 22 CAPS 4 GOALS 0

FC KORONA KIELCE (POL) AGE 32 CAPS 6 GOALS 0 Shikavka made his international debut at the age of 25 in 2018 and has earned only a handful of caps since, but the frontman brings plenty of experience to an otherwise largely youthful attacking group.

AGE 20 CAPS 6 GOALS 0 Born in Belgium, Kireev has spent all of his club career there, starting in Anderlecht’s youth system before joining Lierse. He made his international debut in March this year in a 2-0 friendly loss to Montenegro.

Barkovski made his international debut

earlier this year in a 4-0 friendly defeat to Israel in Budapest.

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FACT FILE: BELARUS

WORDS: IAN PARKER

• They were in contention for the play-offs during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, but a 1-0 defeat to Wales saw Ukraine move above them to finish second in Group 5. • They also reached the play-offs during qualifying for Euro 2020 courtesy of gaining promotion from League D of the Nations League, however a 1-0 defeat to Georgia ended their hopes. • Their highest ever FIFA ranking came in February 2011 when they rose as high as 36th. This came on the back of a Euro 2012 qualifying campaign in which they stunned France 1-0 in Paris before securing a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at home. • They suffered their biggest ever defeat during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, going down 8-0 to Belgium away from home. • Carlos Alos’s side are unbeaten in the current Nations League campaign, although Belarus have won only three of their last 19 games. • They defend well, but scoring is a problem and they have failed to find the net in six of their last eight matches. • Since 2016 the team have had the nickname of the White Wings - a nod to Belarusian writer Uladzimir Karatkievich and his book The Land Beneath White Wings. • Former midfielder Alyaksandr Kulchy holds the national record for appearances, clocking up 102 between 1996 and 2012. Amongst the current squad defender Aleksandr Martynovich, 37, has 78 caps. • Perhaps the most famous player to have come from Belarus since independence is former Arsenal and Barcelona playmaker Alexander Hleb, who did the La Liga-Champions League double with Barca in 2008-09. • The last of Hleb’s 80 appearances for Belarus came in that 2-1 Euro qualifying defeat to Northern Ireland in Belfast. • Maksim Romaschenko tops the nation’s scoring charts. He netted 20 goals in 64 appearances between 2000 and 2008, with his haul including goals home and away against Italy during qualifying for Euro 2006.

INTERNATIONAL • This will be the fifth meeting between Northern Ireland and Belarus, with Northern Ireland winning the first three before last month’s goalless draw. • The first match was a friendly at Windsor Park in May 2016 when Michael O’Neill’s Euro 2016-bound side triumphed 3-0, a result that extended their unbeaten run to 11 games. Kyle Lafferty marked his 50th cap with the opening goal before Conor Washington and Will Grigg also found the target. • The two nations met again a little under three years later in a Euro 2020 qualifier in Belfast. Within three minutes of Jonny Evans opening the scoring, Igor Stasevich levelled with the help of a deflection, however Josh Magennis popped up with an 87th minute winner. • Northern Ireland then travelled to the Borisov Arena in Barysaw in June 2019 for the reverse fixture in Group C, and it again came down to a late goal as Paddy McNair Zalaegerszeg in Hungary for a Nations League game played behind closed doors. Northern Ireland bossed the first 45 minutes at the ZTE Arena but could not make the dominance count and it finished in a goalless draw. • Following the break-up of the USSR, Belarus played their first official game in October 1992, drawing 1-1 with Ukraine in Minsk. • They had to wait two years for their first international win, beating Luxembourg 2-0 in a European qualifier in October 1994. • A year later they enjoyed one of their greatest ever results, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in Minsk. • Belarus are yet to qualify for a major tournament. snatched victory in the 86th minute. • Last month both teams travelled to

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DOMESTIC

• The Belarusian top flight is known as the Premier League, and is contested by 16 teams. • The season takes place between March and November each year. • The league was established in 1992 following independence. • Of the 17 teams to compete in the first season, Dinamo Minsk were the only Belarusian side competing in the Soviet Top League prior to independence. • BATE Borisov hold the record for the most titles with 15. They won the league 13 times in a row between 2006 and 2018 but have not won it since, finishing as runners-up in 2019, 2020 and 2021. • The reigning champions are Dinamo Minsk, who have won the title eight times, having dominated during the early years of the league. They sit top of the table again going into the final weeks of the current campaign. • The Belarusian league was the only league in Europe to continue throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and during a period where most other European football was suspended the league’s profile grew considerably.

NORTHERN IRELAND DREW 0-0 AGAINST BELARUS IN LEAGUE C GROUP 3 IN THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LAST MONTH.

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SCOUTING REPORT

TACTICS Belarus set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in their draws with Northern Ireland and Luxembourg last month. As is often the case for teams operating with a back three, the wing-backs drop back when Belarus are out of possession, with their backline therefore appearing more like a flat back five. They also have a fluid frontline featuring a lone forward – it was Yevgeni Shikavka in those aforementioned matches – who is supported in attacking situations by the likes of Valery Gromyko and German Barkovski. STRENGTHS As results this year suggest, one of Belarus’ main strengths is their ability to keep a clean sheet. In addition to their shutouts in three of their four UEFA Nations League matches so far this season, Alós’ side also kept a clean sheet in a friendly in Malta back in March. Standing 6ft 3ins tall, veteran centre back Sergei Politevich plays at the heart of the White Wings’ defence. Dominant in the air and a good reader of the game, Politevich is also a threat at the other end of the pitch from set pieces, as he demonstrated with his headed goal from a Valery Gromyko delivery against Luxembourg last month. Gromyko is one of Belarus’ main dangermen. September, as he controlled a long ball from Kirill Piachenin with his chest before curling the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area. POSSIBLE LINE-UP GK Fedor Lapoukhov LWB Kirill Piachenin CB Aleksandr Martynovich CB Sergei Politevich CB Pavel Zabelin RWB Vadim Pigas CM Max Ebonh CM Valery Bocherov AMC Valery Gromyko AMC German Barkovski FW Yevgeni Shikavka. Comfortable on either foot, he scored a wonderful goal against Luxembourg in

Andy Greeves takes a closer look at Belarus ahead of this evening’s Nations League game in Belfast. LOWDOWN Belarus were unbeaten in their opening four UEFA Nations League Group C3 fixtures. Their campaign began in September with a goalless draw with Bulgaria in a ‘home’ match staged at the ZTE Arena at Zalaegerszeg in Hungary, while they triumphed 1-0 away to Luxembourg thanks to a goal from Valery Gromyko. October saw Carlos Alós’ side return to Zalaegerszeg to play two further ‘home’ matches behind closed doors as they drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland and 1-1 with Luxembourg – a game in which defender Sergei Politevich was on target. Having joined FIFA in 1992 following the break up of the Soviet Union, Belarus first entered a qualifying campaign for a major tournament for UEFA Euro 1996. The ‘White Wings’ are yet to make it to a major competition. By winning the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League Group D2, they competed in a qualifying play off for the first time but were defeated 1-0 by Georgia in the semi-finals. Ranked as high as 36th in the world in February 2011, when their squad included Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb, Alós’ team are currently 97th in the FIFA World Rankings.

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