Qatar holds Ireland to 1-1 draw

By Nidhul Sasith
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Updated: March 31, 2021
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DEBRECEN, Hungary – World Cup hosts Qatar continued their impressive run as they drew 1-1 with struggling Ireland in Debrecen on Tuesday.

Ireland were hoping to bounce back from their humiliating defeat by Luxembourg in their Group A World Cup qualifier at the weekend and took the lead in the first half through James McClean’s deflected strike.

But Mohammed Muntari levelled for a lively Qatar side with a fine finish early in the second half.

The non-competitive Group A game was originally scheduled to take place in Ireland, but the two teams agreed to reverse the order of their fixtures because of the Irish government’s COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Qatar are part of Group A as guests as they prepare for next year’s World Cup and their points do not count. Their draw followed wins against Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.

For Ireland they have now failed to win in 11 games since Stephen Kenny took charge, drawing five and losing six. It is the worst start by an Ireland manager since Mick Meagan failed to win any of his 12 games in charge between 1969 and 1971.

Source: Reuters