The Republic of Ireland U17s have qualified for the European Championships in dramatic fashion this afternoon, sealing their place in the finals after a stoppage time goal lead them to a 3-2 comeback victory over Cyprus.
Having started the elite phase of qualifying in Paphos last week, Colin O'Brien's side would draw with Italy before defeating Ukraine in their second game. That meant that they knew that a victory in their final fixture would be enough to secure a place in the tournament.
However, they did not have things all their own way in the game.
Cyprus took the lead just before the interval, with Ireland trailing 1-0 at halftime. A stunning free-kick from St Pat's man Luke Kehir would get them back back on level terms in the 68th minute.
LUKE KEHIR 🇮🇪(2006) WITH A FREE-KICK GOLAZO!!!!#U17Euro pic.twitter.com/xHBMI77Ibe
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 13, 2023
That parity did not last long, with Cyprus regaining the lead five minutes later.
Ireland's qualification hopes were hanging by a thread at this point, but there was still to be time for a dramatic comeback.
It was sparked by a goal from Shamrock Rovers player Najemedine Razi, who dribbled past two players before burying the ball in the bottom corner from a difficult angle.
NAJEMEDINE 'NAJ' RAZI 🇮🇪🇩🇿(2006) DRAWS IRELAND U17 LEVEL WITH A GREAT GOAL!!!#U17Euro pic.twitter.com/IRulr9Wdl0
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 13, 2023
There was still time to find the winner.
Bohemians player Nick Okosun was the person to get it, showing remarkable composure to take the ball down in the box and finish expertly beyond the opposition goalkeeper. It sparked some wild scenes among the Irish players.
NICKSON OKOSUN 🇮🇪🇳🇬(2006) WINS IT FOR IRELAND WITH A SUPERB CONTROL AND FINISH!!!
NAJEMEDINE 'NAJ' RAZI 🇮🇪🇩🇿(2006) WITH THE BEAUTIFUL ASSIST!!!#U17Euro pic.twitter.com/ZvX7BXS3Gg— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 13, 2023
Remarkable stuff.
The Ireland player that featured this afternoon all currently ply their trade in the League of Ireland. This is a direct result of Brexit, with Irish player now having to wait until they are 18-years old to move to the UK unless they hold a British passport.
This result means that Ireland are the first team to book their place in the U17 Euros, which will take place in Hungary later this summer.
Considering the talent on display in the squad, they will certainly fancy their chances of performing well at the tournament.
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