The Daily Star Ireland
Tom Mohan’s Ireland U-19 team has advanced to the elite phase of the European Championship qualifiers, securing the top position in their group with a victory over Iceland today.
The team began their campaign with a goalless draw against hosts Moldova, followed by a commanding 4-0 win over Azerbaijan last Saturday. Heading into the final match against Iceland, Mohan’s squad knew they needed a win to clinch the top spot, although the top two teams in the group would still progress.
Ireland achieved their goal with a 2-1 victory. An early own goal gave them the lead in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. Iceland equalized 10 minutes into the second half through Daniel Johannesson, but former Shamrock Rovers player Naj Razi secured the win with a goal in the 69th minute.
Ireland’s performance over the three games earned them seven points, allowing them to advance to the elite phase next spring along with 26 other teams. These 27 nations will compete for seven available spots at the finals in Romania next summer.
Historically, under Brian Kerr, Ireland won the European Championship in 1998 at the U-18 level, before the tournament changed to U-19 in 2002. They also reached the semi-finals in 2002, 2011, and 2019.
