Denmark, Ireland in stalemate

Copenhagen, Nov. 12: The Republic of Ireland and Denmark played out a drab 0-0 draw in the first leg of their World Cup play-off here.

The closest either side came to a goal was when Pione Sisto fired wide in the first half for the hosts, while Yussuf Poulsen saw a 90th-minute header saved by Darren Randolph.

Both sides will be satisfied with the result, as Martin O’Neill’s Irish now know victory in Dublin on Tuesday would secure a first World Cup appearance since 2002, but an away goal for the Danes could prove decisive after this clean sheet.

“A draw has always got to be seen as a positive result. Although we could have done with scoring an away goal,” Ireland midfielder Harry Arter told Sky Sports.

“It (the World Cup) feels a bit closer than it did before the game. If before the campaign, we’d have been offered a one-off game against Denmark to qualify for the World Cup, we’d have bitten off your hands for it.”

Denmark coach Age Hareide left striker Nicklas Bendtner on the bench in favour of Feyenoord’s Nicolai Jorgensen.

Irish manager O’Neill made just one change from the team that beat Wales 10 to snatch second place in qualifying Group D last month, bringing in Bristol City midfielder Callum O’Dowda to replace the suspended David Meyler. In Johannesburg, north African nations Morocco and Tunisia took contrasting routes as they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Morocco scored twice within five minutes through Nabil Dirar and Medhi Benatia during the opening half to triumph 2-0 in the Ivory Coast and win Group C.

The “Atlas Lions” are going back to the tournament for the first time since 1998 after finishing with 12 points, having not conceded a goal during the six-match group campaign.

Ivory Coast, who never looked like recovering from the first-half blows, came second with eight points followed by Gabon with six and Mali with four.

Tunisia could not break down neighbours Libya in Rades on the outskirts of Tunis and had to settle for a 0-0 draw that was just enough to see them first over the finishing line.

With second-place Democratic Republic of Congo netting twice in stoppage time to defeat Guinea 3-1 in Kinshasa, only one point separated the top two. — AFP