Republic of Ireland v Kazakhstan 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup play-off, round one (second leg) SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork Tuesday 13 October, 7.30pm
Where can we watch it?
Ireland’s second World Cup play-off match is live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player.
Coverage from Cork begins at 7pm.
All eyes will be on Poland versus Belgium at 5pm in Gdansk first, to see who awaits in the play-off final Ireland have all but rubber-stamped.
How are Ireland fixed?
Ireland’s second leg against Kazakhstan is but a formality as the hosts take an eight-goal lead to the home of Cork GAA. Several stars are returning, and Carla Ward has called on her side to “step up again” and “be better,” with more the order on Leeside.
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Ireland won 8-0 in Astana on Friday, with seven different scorers on the scoresheet in an utterly dominant performance against the minnows. The Kazakhs are ranked 98th in the world, 77 places below Ireland, so a comfortable win was always expected.
The Girls In Green – without Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan, among others – led 5-0 at half-time, and with Kazakhstan down to 10 after a harsh red card, added three more goals in the second half.
Debutant Shanade Hopcroft, Jamie Finn and Chloe Mustaki scored their first international goals, while Kyra Carusa (two), Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy and Jessie Stapleton were also on target.
Ireland’s biggest ever win of 11-0 against Georgia in 2021 looked under threat in Astana – and that could be the case again as they’re certain to extend their 100% record at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
What’s the team news?
Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan will both return after missing the first leg in Astana. McCabe was suspended alongside Marissa Sheva, while O’Sullivan was rested. Jess Ziu has again been ruled out with a shin injury.
Courtney Brosnan captained the team in McCabe’s absence, and Ireland’s number one is facing into another quiet day between the posts. Grace Moloney and Sophie Whitehouse are the other goalkeepers in the squad, in the unlikely event Ward rotates.
While affording opportunities, she played her strongest possible team on Friday, and is expected to do similar here. McCabe should return to left-wing back, with Mustaki shifting back to the centre after deputising brilliantly. Stapleton is likely to drop out.
O’Sullivan, Sheva and Megan Connolly have generally been Ward’s first-choice midfield, with two up top. Last week’s enforced shake-up saw Finn join Connolly in the middle, and Larkin drafted into a front three alongside Carusa and Murphy.
How Ward tackles this will be interesting: O’Sullivan will come in for her 133rd cap – one off Emma Byrne’s appearance record – but who will join her, and how will that impact the attack? Larkin will be hopeful of another start in Cork after an excellent performance.
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, will be without captain Yulia Myasnikova, whose yellow card for a pull-down on Larkin was harshly upgraded to red by VAR. Angelina Portnova is likely to continue in goal after Nazym Ismailova’s first-half injury.
O'Sullivan training on Monday. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
How are Kazakhstan shaping up?
It seems like it will be another long evening in the face of one-way traffic for Kazakhstan, who are in the play-offs as one of the two best runners-up in League C. A journey of over 5,000km, the loss of Myasnikova, and return of Ireland’s world-class stars makes this even more daunting.
Players in the squad from 2025 Kazakh champions FK Aktobe will cling onto faint hope: Having lost the first leg of a recent Uefa Europa Cup tie 8-0 to Ajax, they won the second leg 1-0.
What’s next for Ireland?
This game seems another foregone conclusion, and Ireland will have one eye on Gdansk before kick-off to see who they will meet in the World Cup play-off final.
Related Reads
Ward calls on Ireland to 'step up again' against Kazakhstan as O'Sullivan closes in on record
After ACL injuries and setbacks, Finn and Mustaki share special moments in Astana
Ireland put Kazakhstan to the sword with EIGHT goals in World Cup play-off semi-final
Belgium lead 1-0 after Friday night’s first leg in Leuven - Elena Dhont’s first-half injury-time goal was ultimately the difference – and the sides meet again in Poland.
It will be tight and tense as they look to book their ticket to the two-legged play-off final, which is likely to be 1 and 5 December.
Ireland – who will be away first – have beaten both Belgium and Poland in the last year, but a very different challenge now awaits as the back-to-back World Cup dream burns bright.
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Ireland target another goal-fest at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in World Cup play-offs
Republic of Ireland v Kazakhstan
2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup play-off, round one (second leg)
SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
Tuesday 13 October, 7.30pm
Where can we watch it?
Ireland’s second World Cup play-off match is live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player.
Coverage from Cork begins at 7pm.
All eyes will be on Poland versus Belgium at 5pm in Gdansk first, to see who awaits in the play-off final Ireland have all but rubber-stamped.
How are Ireland fixed?
Ireland’s second leg against Kazakhstan is but a formality as the hosts take an eight-goal lead to the home of Cork GAA. Several stars are returning, and Carla Ward has called on her side to “step up again” and “be better,” with more the order on Leeside.
Ireland won 8-0 in Astana on Friday, with seven different scorers on the scoresheet in an utterly dominant performance against the minnows. The Kazakhs are ranked 98th in the world, 77 places below Ireland, so a comfortable win was always expected.
The Girls In Green – without Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan, among others – led 5-0 at half-time, and with Kazakhstan down to 10 after a harsh red card, added three more goals in the second half.
Debutant Shanade Hopcroft, Jamie Finn and Chloe Mustaki scored their first international goals, while Kyra Carusa (two), Abbie Larkin, Emily Murphy and Jessie Stapleton were also on target.
Ireland’s biggest ever win of 11-0 against Georgia in 2021 looked under threat in Astana – and that could be the case again as they’re certain to extend their 100% record at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
What’s the team news?
Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan will both return after missing the first leg in Astana. McCabe was suspended alongside Marissa Sheva, while O’Sullivan was rested. Jess Ziu has again been ruled out with a shin injury.
Courtney Brosnan captained the team in McCabe’s absence, and Ireland’s number one is facing into another quiet day between the posts. Grace Moloney and Sophie Whitehouse are the other goalkeepers in the squad, in the unlikely event Ward rotates.
While affording opportunities, she played her strongest possible team on Friday, and is expected to do similar here. McCabe should return to left-wing back, with Mustaki shifting back to the centre after deputising brilliantly. Stapleton is likely to drop out.
O’Sullivan, Sheva and Megan Connolly have generally been Ward’s first-choice midfield, with two up top. Last week’s enforced shake-up saw Finn join Connolly in the middle, and Larkin drafted into a front three alongside Carusa and Murphy.
How Ward tackles this will be interesting: O’Sullivan will come in for her 133rd cap – one off Emma Byrne’s appearance record – but who will join her, and how will that impact the attack? Larkin will be hopeful of another start in Cork after an excellent performance.
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, will be without captain Yulia Myasnikova, whose yellow card for a pull-down on Larkin was harshly upgraded to red by VAR. Angelina Portnova is likely to continue in goal after Nazym Ismailova’s first-half injury.
How are Kazakhstan shaping up?
It seems like it will be another long evening in the face of one-way traffic for Kazakhstan, who are in the play-offs as one of the two best runners-up in League C. A journey of over 5,000km, the loss of Myasnikova, and return of Ireland’s world-class stars makes this even more daunting.
Players in the squad from 2025 Kazakh champions FK Aktobe will cling onto faint hope: Having lost the first leg of a recent Uefa Europa Cup tie 8-0 to Ajax, they won the second leg 1-0.
What’s next for Ireland?
This game seems another foregone conclusion, and Ireland will have one eye on Gdansk before kick-off to see who they will meet in the World Cup play-off final.
Belgium lead 1-0 after Friday night’s first leg in Leuven - Elena Dhont’s first-half injury-time goal was ultimately the difference – and the sides meet again in Poland.
It will be tight and tense as they look to book their ticket to the two-legged play-off final, which is likely to be 1 and 5 December.
Ireland – who will be away first – have beaten both Belgium and Poland in the last year, but a very different challenge now awaits as the back-to-back World Cup dream burns bright.
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