Michael O’Neill: Nations League group is one Northern Ireland have ambitions of topping
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill says the ambition for his team will be to top their Nations League group after being drawn against Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
The home and away games in League C will take place in September, October and November this year, with O’Neill suggesting they will offer his young squad a chance to develop and build towards the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Northern Ireland’s record in the competition is dreadful having won just once in 16 matches, so big improvements will be required if O’Neill’s team are to win their group and earn promotion to League B.
The opposition will be familiar to the Green and White Army, many of whom will recall an embarrassing 3-2 loss for Northern Ireland in Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier in 2013 during O’Neill’s first spell in charge.
Northern Ireland have won twice (2019 and 2022) against Luxembourg in friendlies since then but this time points will be at stake.
When Ian Baraclough was manager, Northern Ireland played Bulgaria in the 2022 World Cup group games, drawing 0-0 at Windsor Park and losing 2-1 away in what was a desperately disappointing defeat.
There are better memories of the most recent meetings with Belarus given that O’Neill’s side overcame them home and away in qualifying for Euro 2020.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph about the draw in Paris, O’Neill said: “It was important for us to avoid Romania and Sweden, who I think are the two strongest Pot One teams, which we managed to do.
“The objective of this tournament is to continue to develop the team and we will still be challenging with the young squad that we have.
“It is a group where we will have ambitions to finish at the top
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