A statement on whether the Republic of Ireland's European Championship qualifying game against Macedonia at Skopje on Saturday goes ahead as scheduled is now expected from UEFA within the next 48 hours.
Members of UEFA's championship committee are expected to confer today on the deteriorating security situation in the region and the build-up of NATO personnel in Skopje.
As yet, there is no deviation from their stated position on Friday when they intimated that conditions in Skopje and Belgrade, where Yugoslavia are due to meet Croatia, also on Saturday, are still relatively stable. Ultimately, however, their decision will be governed by political developments in the Balkans over the next two days.
The Irish party is due to leave for Skopje on Thursday morning and will require at least a day's notice of UEFA's intentions. Mick McCarthy, who will assemble his squad in Dublin this evening, said that he is preparing his team in the expectation that the game will go ahead.
"What's happening in Kosovo is very sad but until somebody in authority tells us to the contrary, we must assume that the match is on," he said. "We simply cannot afford to allow ourselves to be distracted by events beyond our control."
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs advised people proposing to travel to Skopje to stay in regular contact with the FAI. "At this point, we're not saying that people shouldn't travel, but they must be aware of the dangers," he said.
"The situation in the Kosova region is evolving and deteriorating almost by the hour but a decision on whether the game in Skopje should be played is obviously one for the football authorities."
An employee at the hotel where the Irish squad and some 120 supporters are due to stay confessed that because of the numbers of NATO troops in the city accommodation has reached crisis point.
"There are people sleeping everywhere in this hotel, in corridors, restaurants, even in the bars," he said. "But the bookings made for the Irish party will be honoured."
The squad is scheduled to travel on an Aer Lingus charter flight and, at best, the current problems in the region are likely to mean a circuitous route into the Macedonian capital.
"We would be gravely concerned in having to fly through Yugoslav airspace on our way to the game," said an FAI official. "Additionally, the problems over accommodation are very real. Even UEFA concede that the situation there is not conducive to preparing a team for a big game."
While obviously concerned for the safety of players and supporters, the FAI will agree to a postponement only if it is absolutely necessary. They fear that the rescheduling of the fixture for a non-international date could result in difficulty securing the release of players.
