World Cup qualifiers: Armenia v Republic of Ireland, Republican Stadium, 5pm Irish time<\/p>\n
Key reads<\/b><\/p>\n Armed guards in Yerevan, packs of wild dogs, power struggles and Ronaldo – a piece from a little while back with Tom Jones recalling his stint as coach of Armenia.https:\/\/t.co\/D2iQBPQXco<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gordon Manning (@Gordon_Manning) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson’s pre-match thoughts…<\/p>\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f \u201cWe\u2019re focused on the positives from the Hungary game & taking all the good things we did in the second half\u201d <\/p>\n Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson gives his thoughts on tonight\u2019s game ahead of kick-off \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea pic.twitter.com\/errBeYBF18<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ireland Football \u26bd\ufe0f\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea (@IrelandFootball) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Armenia manager Yegishe Melikyan<\/b>, who took over from Dutch coach John van t\u2019Schip just last month, has brought back first choice goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich after injury ruled him out of the defeat by Portugal. His stand-in, Henri Avagyan, is probably still traumatised after being peppered with Cristiano Ronaldo shots for 90-ish minutes.<\/p>\n Eduard Spertsyan, the man who scored the winner against Ireland in 2022, starts, as does Nigerian-born midfielder Ugochukwu Iwu who, like Spertsyan, plays his club football in Russia. Also included is Lucas Zelaray\u00e1n who has a heck of a commute to turn out for Armenia – the number 10 plays in his native Argentina with Club Atl\u00e9tico Belgrano. German-born Grant-Leon Ranos starts up front.<\/p>\n We\u2019re going with Uefa\u2019s formation for Armenia here, but seeing as they have Ogbene playing up front with Ferguson and Manning positioned at right-back for Ireland, we\u2019re not entirely confident about its accuracy.<\/p>\n Armenia<\/b>: Ognjen Chancharevich; Erik Piloyan, Georgii Arutiunian, Sergei Muradian, Nayair Tiknizyan; Eduard Spertsyan, Ugochukwu Iwu; Kamo Hovhannisyan, Lucas Zelaray\u00e1n, Tigran Barseghyan; Grant-Leon Ranos.<\/p>\n Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson<\/b> has made two changes to the side that drew with Hungary. One of them is enforced, Chiedozie Ogbene coming in for the injured Sammie Szmodics, while Matt Doherty is dropped after his less than stellar performance at left-back on Saturday. Ryan Manning, presumably, drops back in to defence to replace him, with Jack Taylor coming in on the wing.<\/p>\n Ireland<\/b>: Kelleher; O\u2019Brien, Collins, O\u2019Shea, Manning; Ogbene, Cullen, Knight, Taylor; Azaz; Ferguson.<\/p>\n Subs<\/b>: Bazunu, Travers, Dunne, Scales, Lawal, Phillips, Doherty, Honohan, Johnston, McAteer, Idah, Kenny.<\/p>\n Team news!<\/b><\/p>\n STARTING XI | Armenia v Ireland<\/p>\n Ogbene & Taylor both come into the side for our FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifier in Armenia this evening (KO 5:00pm Irish time) \ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea<\/p>\n Over 500 Ireland fans will be making themselves heard in Yerevan \ud83e\udd0c pic.twitter.com\/sBS5nTo2Ot<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ireland Football \u26bd\ufe0f\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea (@IrelandFootball) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019ll be a balmy evening in Yerevan, the temperatures at kick-off (8pm local time, 5pm Irish time) expected to be around the 24 degree mark. Imagine living in a country where there\u2019s zero chance of rain?<\/p>\n Up to 500-ish hardy Irish souls have made the trip, Google Maps telling us it would have taken them 33 days – until we realised that\u2019s by foot. Mercifully, the Irish squad travelled there on a chartered flight – but even that took five hours. <\/p>\n Good afternoon<\/b>, have you recovered from Saturday\u2019s 2-2 draw with Hungary<\/a> yet? We\u2019ll just have to hope that Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson\u2019s men have because at 5.0 this afternoon they kick off against Armenia in Yerevan in the second game of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. And they could really do with a win.<\/p>\n Group favourites Portugal, who are away to Hungary at 7.45 this evening, dished out a 5-0 hiding to Armenia on Saturday at the Vazgen Sargsyan anvan Hanrapetakan Marzadasht, surely one of the lengthier venue names in world football? (It\u2019s named in honour of Vazgen Sargsyan, the Armenian prime minister who was assassinated in 1999).<\/p>\n Ireland are ranked 45 places above Armenia in the Fifa list, so you\u2019d think this should be a breeze. But – and apologies for the reminder – the last time they visited Yerevan, Stephen Kenny the gaffer at the time, they lost 1-0 in their 2022 Nations League meeting<\/a>. And they only won the return game in Dublin 3-2 thanks to a 91st minute Robbie Brady penalty<\/a>. <\/p>\n Sensibly, then, Hallgr\u00edmsson insisted yesterday that \u201cwe should respect Armenia – it\u2019s like Iceland when we go to the Eurovision: we always think we have the best song, but we never go through to the final\u201d.<\/p>\n Ireland have only qualified for two of the last 11 Eurovision Song Contest finals, and just three of the last 11 World Cups. So we\u2019re the last to take these things for granted.<\/p>\n\n
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