Greece v Republic of Ireland, Opap arena, Athens, 7.45pm – Live RTÉ Two
Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has decided to embrace the fact that ‘Evan Ferguson mania’ is spreading. Resistance is already futile.
Ten goals for Brighton & Hove Albion since December 31st makes it impossible to dampen hype around the 18-year-old.
“Evan has been our best-performing centre forward in recent times,” Kenny replied when ‘Ferguson mania’ was mentioned in advance of the vital European Championships qualifier in Athens. “He has really emerged. He is a huge addition to us.”
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Irish team-mates openly speak about the big teenager being more than a prolific goalscorer, emphasising a skill set beyond anything previously seen in a green shirt.
Ferguson excitement notwithstanding, local interest has waned considerably with conflicting Greek reports revealing between 10,000 and 20,000 tickets have been sold for the brand new opap arena.
Unless holidaying Green Army reserves pick up the slack, swathes of seats will be evident inside the 32,500 capacity stadium 15 kilometres north of the Acropolis.
The late kick-off of 9.45pm local time has dissuaded families and local AEK Athens ultras as the folly of Uefa scheduling a Friday night fixture in mid-June – when many locals have flocked to the islands’ cooler beaches – becomes apparent.
“If it’s full like it was for AEK games, we can probably [benefit],” said Greece manager Gus Poyet. “After the game, I’ll let you know.”
This should come as music to Kenny’s ears as 2,600 official Irish fans are visible among the throngs of tourists for a home game away from home.
“Only a third full?!” replied Kenny, visibly shocked when told it was not a sell-out.
The Greek capital remains a football-crazed metropolis of 3.2 million people, and rising, but many of them are fanatically loyal to Panathinaikos, Olympiacos or AEK and not the national team.
“It was very important to explain to people from Ireland that there was an incredible connection after the 2004 team won the Euros,” Poyet explained.
“The whole country extended that connection through the years because the team qualified for every big tournament. After 2014 and not being able to qualify any more there is naturally a little bit of distance between teams and fans which is not the real Greece.
“Before trying to bring that back you need to win.”
In a classic Catch 22, the fans will not return until the team reaches a major tournament again.
“We are still pushing for people to come.”
The Irish in Greece are on notice. Ireland’s bristling resistance against France in Dublin last March, rather than the 1-0 result, points to a renewed belief that this team can rise above the nervous energy that tends to creep into their performances against lesser opposition.
Not that Greece are far beneath Ireland in the Fifa rankings. Tonight pits the 52nd best team in world football against the 49th with Burkina Faso and Slovakia in between them.
Victory here allows one of these countries to challenge the Netherlands for automatic qualification to Germany 2024, presumably behind France. If it plays out that way. Whatever the result, Greek minds must instantly switch to Paris on Monday, the same city Ireland visit in search of points on September 7th.
That same night Greece will hope to take points from the Dutch in Eindhoven. Ronald Koeman the player and a younger Virgil van Dijk would never allow the recent flood of goals against the Koeman-managed side as Croatia replicated France’s example from March by blasting four past an inexplicitly shaky van Dijk defence on Wednesday.
With the Dutch due in Dublin on September 10th, all permutations can be shelved for now.
Since Kenny replaced Mick McCarthy in 2020 the team have won two competitive matches on the road, in Baku and Luxembourg, losing eight.
Unquestionably, he has been an unlucky Ireland manager. Arguably more so than Eoin Hand and Brian Kerr. But the repetitive mentioning of 26 Irish passes for an irrelevant goal against Latvia does him no favours.
When matching up the clubs and leagues of the probable starting XIs, on paper Greece look a stronger side. They also offer a settled 4-3-3 approach where Liverpool wing back Kostas Tsimikas is a serious threat down the left.
Factor in humidity levels soaring to 59 per cent come kick-off and an attack-minded Irish line-up seems certain from the off. Michael Obafemi is the obvious choice to partner Ferguson but questions surround the maturity of the 22-year-old Premier League-bound striker who offers spectacular goals and disagreements with club managers in equal measure.
Adam Idah’s sturdy display against Serbia, way back in September 2021, was revisited against France and if Ireland aim to give Ferguson the support required to rattle a strong Greek back four then the Norwich City centre forward is the logical option. Especially with Kenny’s men hunting goals before the hour mark.
It is faintly ridiculous to rely so heavily on a teenager, much like England did with Michael Owen in 1998 and Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004, but nobody can keep Ferguson on a leash anymore. The time for another historic Irish away win is now.
Greece (possible): Vlachodimos (Benfica); Baldock (Sheffield United), Hatzidiakos (AZ Alkmaar), Mavropanos (VfB Stuttgart), Tsimikas (Liverpool); Siopis (Trabzonspor), Mantalos (AEK Athens), Bakasetas (Trabzonspor); Masouras (Olympiacos Piraeus), Pavlidis (AZ Alkmaar), Limnios (FC Köln).
Republic of Ireland (possible): Bazunu (Southampton); Egan (Sheffield United), Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers), O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion); Doherty (Unattached), Cullen (Burnley), Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Knight (Derby County), O’Dowda (Cardiff City); Idah (Norwich City), Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria).
