Cross-border clash will be a special moment, believes Northern Ireland star Nadene Caldwell

Northern Ireland midfielder Nadene Caldwell is enjoying working with new boss Tanya Oxtoby

Northern Ireland boss Tanya Oxtoby is targeting a first win in the job against the Republic of Ireland

With a crowd of 38,000 expected, Nadene Caldwell believes that Saturday’s cross-border derby in Dublin will be a special occasion for women’s football in Ireland.

It will be a day of firsts at the Aviva Stadium. It’s the first game of the inaugural Women’s Nations League campaign for both teams. It will be Tanya Oxtoby’s first game in charge of Northern Ireland. And it will be the Republic of Ireland’s first game following Vera Pauw’s departure.

While Pauw’s sacking and the fallout from the Republic’s World Cup exit looms large, Glentoran star Caldwell is confident the clash will be remembered for the right reasons.

“It’s going to be special,” she believes.

“We qualified for the Euros and they qualified for the World Cup, so both these teams have a legacy and both want to build on that legacy.

“I think that there is momentum in the women’s game both up here and down south, and in the game in general.

“Hopefully, that means there will be a lot of fans at the game and that there will be a good atmosphere. It should be a good occasion for women’s football, and hopefully, both teams put on a good show.”

Unlike her Republic of Ireland namesake Diane, who claimed the Girls in Green qualified for Australia in spite of Pauw, Northern Ireland’s Caldwell refused to be drawn on the Dutch woman’s departure.

She said: “We’re not really thinking about them.

“We obviously analyse their play, but we’re fully focused on ourselves and how we’re going to go about the game.

“That’s what this week is about.”

So far, Caldwell has been impressed with