Soccer:Ireland will kick off their qualification bid for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with an away match against Kazakhstan on September 7th next year before facing Germany at home in Aviva Stadium on October 12th.
Germany have become the masters at qualification, losing just two of the 74 qualifiers in their history to date but the FAI are sure to see Ireland's second game in Dublin as a huge money spinner for the association.
Just one other match takes place in 2012, when Ireland visit the Faroe Islands on October 16th.
Seven of the pool matches will take place in 2013 starting off with an away game against Sweden on March 22nd before Giovanni Trapattoni and his side face into a string of three successive home fixtures between March and September when Austria, Faroe Islands and Sweden all travel to Dublin.
The group winner will qualify automatically while the second placed team will have an opportunity to reach the finals through a play-off with a second-placed team from another group.
The Repubic of Ireland finish the qualification series with difficult away games against Austria and Germany in September and October with the final match scheduled for Dublin against Kazakhstan on October 15th.
“This is a good fixture schedule for our team with a good balance to the matches,” said Trapattoni.
“We finish the campaign at home and start with a single away match against Kazakhstan, which was important given the long distances involved. I am also happy with the balance obtained in the double headers and the timing of what we would expect to be some of the key matches in the group.”
In order to reach final agreement, the participating teams agreed to play one match, Faroe Islands v Austria in early June 2012. This proposal has been supported by Uefa.
Brazil 2014 Qualifiers:
September 7th, 2012:Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland
October 12th, 2012: Republic of Ireland v Germany
October 16th, 2012:Faroe Islands v Republic of Ireland
March 22nd, 2013:Sweden v Republic of Ireland
March 26th, 2013:Republic of Ireland v Austria
June 7th, 2013:Republic of Ireland v Faroe Islands
September 6th, 2013: Republic of Ireland v Sweden
September 10th, 2013: Austria v Republic of Ireland
October 11th, 2013:Germany v Republic of Ireland
October 15th, 2013:Republic of Ireland v Kazakhstan
