Northern Ireland vs Kazakhstan

Northern Ireland’s bid to qualify for Euro 2024 is in tatters as they welcome high-flying Kazakhstan to Windsor Park for a must-win contest.

Northern Ireland manager, Michael O’Neill, expressed frustration after VAR disallowed a last-minute equalizer in their match against Denmark last time out, admitting his men now face an uphill task to qualify for Euro 2024. Despite starting his second stint in charge with a 2-0 victory over San Marino in March, Northern Ireland’s fortunes have taken a downturn with two consecutive 1-0 losses, including the recent defeat in Copenhagen. These results have left them second from the bottom in Group H. Despite the recent struggles, O’Neill will undoubtedly be eager to restore a winning mentality within the team after his men only managed four wins in their last 16 outings across all competitions (D4, L8). But it won’t be simple, as ‘Norn Iron’ only won once in five home games since the start of 2022 (D1, L3).

Meanwhile, although Kazakhstan have not yet qualified for the European Championship or FIFA World Cup finals since joining UEFA in 2002, there is increasing optimism within the visiting camp that they can break that streak in 2024. The visitors demonstrated resilience after an initial 2-1 defeat against Slovenia, eking out a stunning 3-2 home victory over Denmark in March. Building on this success, they secured a convincing 3-0 win against San Marino, which places them at the top of Group H alongside Denmark. Playing away from home, this match poses a significant challenge for Kazakhstan, considering they’ve only won once on their last five international travels (D1, L3), courtesy of the abovementioned thumping of San Marino. It’s also worth noting that they conceded 2+ goals in each of those three away losses.