Czech Republic v Ireland live updates: Vale in contention to start; Irish fans descend on Prague

We’re reluctant to remind you that Ireland’s play-off record isn’t the best. Along the way, we had a melee in Turkey, joy in Iran and scandal in Paris. There was rarely a dull moment. We take you through 30 years of highs and lows.

[ The most memorable moments from Ireland’s playoff historyOpens in new window ]

A blast from the past: Mr Mourinho with a gift for Troy Parrott after he made his Premier League debut for Spurs back in December 2019.

[ If not Troy Parrott, then who? Other Irish scoring threats against the Czech RepublicOpens in new window ]

From Jack Power in Prague: It’s a cold day here in Prague and there were certainly a few sore heads among the thousands of Irish fans who have brought the party to the Czech capital, but the travelling supporters wasted no time in getting back on it.

The Irish fans have largely taken over the square in Prague’s old town. Chants of “Troy Parrott’s on fire” and “stand up for the boys in green” ring around the city centre.

For the majority of the travelling fans, who don’t have tickets to the match, even getting in somewhere to watch it poses a challenge.

A queue had formed outside some of the Irish bars before they had even opened on Thursday morning.

“We’re locked in here for the day, we tried three Irish bars before,” says Conor O’Brien, from Carrigaline, after securing a table in front of a television in the Golden Kettle Irish pub, minutes after it opens its doors. The group from Cork have nearly nine hours in front of them before a ball is kicked. Does the pub even serve food? “I believe so,” says one of his mates, sounding a bit unsure.

The surprise inclusion in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s squad for the Czech game was that of former England under-19 captain Harvey Vale. Ken Early has a notion he might even start tonight. Gordon Manning heard from Vale earlier this week and brings you his story.

[ Harvey Vale’s Ireland call-up may seem out of the blue, but it’s years in the makingOpens in new window ]

Forty-two of the 48 qualifying slots have already been filled for this summer’s World Cup - by: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United States, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan have all qualified for the first time, Curaçao the smallest nation - with a population of 156,000 - ever to do so. And having hosted the last tournament, Qatar made it off their own bat this time.

The Republic of Ireland’s match is one of eight World Cup qualifying play-offs in Europe today. Here are the other games, which include Northern Ireland’s trip to Bergamo. All are at 7.45pm, except Turkey v Romania which is at 5pm. A reminder that should Ireland win tonight, they will play Denmark or North Macedonia on Tuesday in Dublin.

Path A:

Italy v Northern Ireland

Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina

Path B:

Ukraine v Sweden

Poland v Albania

Path C:

Turkey v Romania

Slovakia v Kosovo

Path D:

Czech Republic v Ireland

Denmark v North Macedonia

Here’s Ireland’s match-day squad. Bosun Lawal is the surprise missing name - there had been plenty of chat in the build-up about him making his senior debut tonight, maybe even starting in place of the suspended Josh Cullen.

One of the many pieces our crew penned in the build-up to the game was Malachy Clerkin’s very lovely reflection on how the nation responded to Troy Parrott’s hat-trick goal in Budapest. Among those he spoke to was Slovakian Zuzana Botikova whose video of the reaction in Dublin Airport remains a thing of beauty.

[ From the airport to the maternity ward – where were you for Troy Parrott’s goal?Opens in new window ]

Our man in Prague, Gavin Cummiskey, has just sent us the view from his hotel room. The image, of course, shows a baroque relief sculpture of Saint Anthony of Padua located on the facade of the Church of Saint James the Greater in the Old Town of Prague (thank you Google Images reverse search), although when we asked Gavin who was the main fella in it, he said “that’s Heimir”. Presumably that’s Caoimhín Kelleher holding the cross.

There’s just under - checks countdown clock - nine hours to kick-off in Prague, which is a lot of time to fill when butterflies are doing somersaults in your tummy. So what better way to calm yourself than to indulge in some reading?

Mind you, Ken Early will give you the heebie-jeebies by reminding you that tonight’s game could go to penalties…. and the Czech Republic “have the best penalty shootout record in world football”. He talks to the creator of perhaps the most famous peno of all, Antonín Panenka.

[ Ireland may want to avoid penalties in the home of Antonín PanenkaOpens in new window ]

Gavin Cummiskey might, though, ease your worries a bit in his match preview - he reminds you that Caoimhín Kelleher has a mighty penalty-saving record.

[ Passion, composure – and Troy Parrott – needed for this oneOpens in new window ]

Speaking of mightiness: Séamus Coleman. Gordon Manning heard from the Donegal man on the eve of his 78th cap, his lack of playing time for Everton - he hasn’t made an appearance since November - not bothering him.

[ Ireland’s Mr Dependable will give it his all to make World CupOpens in new window ]

‘We want to do it for the people’

Séamus Coleman issued a rallying call at the press conference on Tuesday. Speaking about the team’s exploits last November, when Ireland came from the brink to qualify with wins against Portugal and Hungary, he said:

“It was incredible what it did to our country, how it lifted our people, how it made people happier and gave them something to get up in the morning and talk about.

“That is so important. As much as us players want to do it for ourselves and for the manager and all the people behind the scenes, we want to do it for the people of our country.”

America 2026

To get the hype going for the match tonight, check out the new Irish Times soccer podcast with Paul Howard and Kevin Kilbane, who has played in four of Ireland’s 11 major tournament playoffs. In this podcast he tells the stories of Ireland’s games against Belgium for World Cup 1998, Turkey for Euro 2000, Iran for World Cup 2002 and France for World Cup 2010.

The teams’ last significant meeting was a Euro 2008 qualifier under Steve Staunton. Karl McGrath was there and saw Ireland lose 1-0. He was also the subject of a famous photograph taken by David Maher:

Gordon Manning tracked McGrath down ahead of his return to Prague this week.

“It looks like I’m staring right down the lens of the camera, but I had no idea there was even a photographer there. That photo gave me my 15 minutes of fame,” McGrath says.

Ireland’s head-to-head record v Czech Republic

(Since independence in 1992): W2 D2 L4

(Including Czechoslovakia): W6 D3 L11

Ireland don’t have a particularly positive record against the Czechs, who they have not beaten since March 2004. The Czechs were unbeaten in 20 matches then, so it was an impressive victory against a team that perhaps should have won Euro 2004, even if only in a friendly. Ian Harte and Robbie Keane scored the goals in Dublin.

Away from home, including the days of Czechoslovakia, Ireland have only won twice in 10 matches, and have only beaten them once away in a competitive game, in November 1967 when in Euro 1968 qualifying.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup playoff against the Czech Republic in Prague, where we’ll have all the build-up ahead of one of the biggest games for the national team in many years. Who will start for Heimir Hallgrímsson? Josh Cullen and Evan Ferguson are among those out with injury, with recently called up Harvey Vale in contention for the starting team. That team should be announced about an hour before the game, which kicks off at 7.45pm.

Here’s the Ireland squad for the match:

Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Brentford), Mark Travers (Everton), Josh Keeley (Luton Town).

Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Jimmy Dunne (QPR), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Jake O’Brien (Everton), John Egan (Hull City), James Abankwah (Watford), Liam Scales (Celtic), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Ryan Manning (Southampton).

Midfielders: Jayson Molumby (West Brom), Bosun Lawal (Stoke City), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Alan Browne (Middlesbrough), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Southampton), Harvey Vale (QPR).

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