Northern Ireland v Belarus (15/11/2024)

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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NIR V BLR