Cork players are ‘a new set of heroes’

A nation holds its breath once again ahead of today’s World Cup 2026 play-off draw in Zurich.

Today’s draw takes place at 12 noon in the Swiss capital and will see 16 teams drawn from four pots.

Ireland, who qualified for pot 3 rather than their preferred pot 2, must now play an away match against either Poland, Wales, Czechia, or Slovakia.

A win would put Ireland through to a second qualifying play-off in March against the winner of one of the pot 1 versus pot 4 matches. Win that and the Boys in Green will secure their first World Cup finals qualification since 2002 in South Korea and Japan.

The four pots are: Pot 1 - Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine; Pot 2 - Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia; Pot 3 - Ireland, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo; Pot 4 - Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.

The current Ireland squad has a strong core of Cork players, three of whom – Jake O'Brien, Chiedozie Ogbene, and Adam Idah – all played for College Corinthians in Cork city at one stage or another.

“We’re really proud as a club to show that there’s a pathway from grassroots,” said Corinthians spokesperson, Steve Grainger.

“It’s brilliant for a local club and it’s really inspirational for the kids to see the pathway.

“They were looking up to Ronaldo and Messi obviously, and now they’re looking up to Ogbene and Adam and Troy Parrot, and these are all Irish guys growing up on grassroots soccer.

“It’s great for the youngsters, boys and girls, to be looking up to a new set of heroes,” he added.

Other Cork players in the squad are Brentford FC shot-stopper Caoimhín Kelleher, and Hull City centre-back John Egan. It was Douglas man Ogbene who won a penalty for Ireland on Sunday against Hungary in Budapest.

This was slotted home confidently by on-fire striker Troy Parrot to make it 1-1.

Former Ringmahon Rangers keeper Caoimhín Kelleher put in another heroic performance at the Puskás Aréna, keeping out five of the seven shots on target from Hungary, as well as providing a pin-point long ball onto the head of Celtic defender Liam Scales who nodded it down for Troy Parrot to stud-poke into the net in the 96th minute to give Ireland a miraculous win and keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Mr Grainger said: “It’s going to be very tough! They still have to win two games. But it would be amazing to get back there and it would be great to see so many Cork guys on the plane as well.

“Best of luck to them and let’s hope they can do it in March.”

The playoff draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired live from 12 noon today, Thursday, on Virgin Media 2.