‘An Amazing Opportunity’ - Ireland Under-17s prepared for Quarter-Final clash against Spain
Najemedine Razi of Republic of Ireland, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's first goal during the UEFA European Under-17 Championship Finals 2023 Group A match between Republic of Ireland and Wales in the Pancho Arena on May 20, 2 Credit: Ben McShane - Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images
The Ireland Under-17 football team has successfully advanced to the UEFA European Under-17 Championship quarter-finals.
The team secured their spot in the last eight following a 4-2 victory over Hungary earlier this week.
Their next challenge is against Spain, a team that topped their group with two wins and a draw.
Should Ireland succeed in this quarter-final match, they will not only progress to the semi-finals but also qualify for a place at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
In the competition thus far, each of Ireland’s goals has been scored by players from the EA SPORTS LOI Academy.
Luke Kehir and Mason Melia of St. Patrick’s Athletic, and Ike Orazi of Shamrock Rovers, are currently tied with two goals each.
Orazi leads in goal involvements with five (2 goals, 3 assists), followed by Melia with four (2 goals, 2 assists), and Razi and Kehir both with three.
Should the quarter-final game against Spain end in a draw after 90 minutes, the outcome will be decided by a penalty shootout.
The fixture is set for Saturday, May 26 at Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium, Budapest, with a 7pm (Irish time) kick-off.
The match will be available for viewing on the RTÉ News Channel and RTÉPlayer. Ireland has confirmed no serious injury concerns ahead of the match.
Speaking about the upcoming game, Ireland Men's Under-17s Head Coach Colin O'Brien stated, "The players have shown tremendous quality to come back from defeat in the opening game against Poland."
He added, "We treated those two games like cup games and we have another tomorrow against Spain. I'm very proud of the players and they're a credit to all their coaches and their families."
Forward Mason Melia also shared his thoughts: "Getting Spain is amazing. People may look at it like 'oh, it's Ireland v Spain' but anything can happen in tournament football. I think we have a good chance, a great team, but it's an amazing opportunity to play against the likes of Spain."
