Unity Cup Rep of Ireland v Nigeria The Valley, kick-off 3.0: Bravely, London was coming out on top yesterday in its battle to elude the grip of Unity Cup fever. The build-up, in fact, threatened to rewrite the definition of low key when it comes to a sporting event in the English capital.
The organisers will, like Brian Kerr, only more anxiously one presumes, be hoping the city's substantial Irish population is struck down with the first signs of a temperature well before three o'clock this afternoon. If not then the crowd will not greatly exceed even the "eight or nine thousand" or so who the promoters claim had, as of yesterday, already bought their tickets.
Those who do arrive at the Valley for the game against Nigeria will be disappointed that the Irish team's three biggest names, Roy Keane, Damien Duff and Shay Given, are missing from the starting line-up. Keane has returned home after Thursday's win against Romania; Duff, of course, is injured while Given is to be rested to give Nicky Colgan and Paddy Kenny much needed international experience.
Also absent is John O'Shea who was allowed home for a couple of days while nursing an ankle injury.
Kerr said yesterday that there would be another "four or five" changes to the side that played against Romania, although none of the remaining uncapped players in the squad will be among the 11 starters. Having earned his first senior cap on Thursday, however, the manager said that Martin Rowlands may well be in from the off this time.
Among the others in contention to step in are Gary Doherty, Mark Kinsella, Jonathan Douglas, Stephen McPhail and Alan Lee. With Kerr having said that he wants to field his strongest side again in Amsterdam next Saturday, Kenny Cunningham may be rested today while Andy Reid and either Robbie Keane or Clinton Morrison could also find themselves on the bench.
"We'll freshen it up," said Kerr yesterday. "It is not ideal but we then have a reasonable gap to the Wednesday. It's important that we juggle it, so that we have a mixture of freshness and experience.
"I think we saw from Martin Rowlands on Thursday night," he added, "that we can expect good performances from anybody that comes in. He did very well in training and we decided to give him a go. But we have other players who have been buzzing in training and are dying to get a chance. They haven't looked like lads tired at the end of the season and unhappy to be here by any means. They are gumming for it."
The Nigerians include Jay-Jay Okocha in their squad, as well as Obafemi Martins, the Inter Milan striker, who made quite an impression when the Italian club won 3-0 against Arsenal at Highbury in the Champions League. Martins hadn't arrived in London yesterday but is expected to feature at some point.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Colgan (Hibernian); Finnan (Liverpool), O'Brien (Newcastle Utd), Doherty (Tottenham), Maybury (Hearts); Kinsella (unattached), Miller (Celtic), Holland (Charlton Ath), Rowlands (QPR); Keane (Tottenham), Lee (Cardiff City).
NIGERIA: Etafia; George, Lawal, Olanjengbesi, Enakhire; Okocha, Olofinjana, Obodo, Ekwueme; Utaka, Akwuegba.
