Soccer

Ireland’s game against Greece to go ahead despite national mourning for migrant boat disaster

At least 78 migrants have died, with many more missing, after boat sank off southern coast of Greece

An ambulance transfers a survivor of a shipwreck to a hospital outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea. Greece has declared three days of mourning. Photograph: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty
An ambulance transfers a survivor of a shipwreck to a hospital outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank in international waters in the Ionian Sea. Greece has declared three days of mourning. Photograph: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty
David Gorman
Thu Jun 15 2023 - 12:16

Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece in Athens will go ahead despite the country declaring national days of mourning after a large number migrants died off the southern coast after a boat capsized.

In reaction the Greek government declared three days of mourning with many large-scale events called off.

But after talks between the Greek government and Uefa, Friday night’s match will go ahead, with a minute’s silence in honour of those who lost their lives.

A huge search and rescue operation has failed to find any more survivors after a fishing boat sank off the coast of southern Greece. The boat crammed with migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank on Wednesday.

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In one of the worst disasters of its kind this year, at least 78 people are dead and many more are missing. It was unclear how many passengers were missing, but some initial reports suggested hundreds of people may have been aboard when the boat went down far from shore.

David Gorman

David Gorman

David Gorman is a sports journalist with The Irish Times