Ireland’s Idah refusing to throw in the towel
Adam Idah is refusing to throw in the towel on the Republic of Ireland’s seemingly forlorn hopes of World Cup qualification.
Saturday’s evening’s 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan at the Aviva Stadium finally opened Ireland’s Group A account, but with Tuesday night’s opponents Serbia and Portugal both nine points better off at the halfway stage, they have only a mathematical chance of making it to Qatar.
However, 20-year-old Norwich striker Idah will not give up on the dream while it remains even a slim possibility.
Asked if the campaign was effectively over, he said: “No, no chance.
“We believed in ourselves as a team from the start when we came in and we still 100 per cent believe we can qualify for this.
"That’s our main target, to qualify for the World Cup, and that’s what we’re going to do.
“We’re going to fight to the end. We’re hungry to get more points and that’s what we’re going to do.
“Look, obviously it’s quite frustrating where we are now, but we’re still building as a team, we’re still learning and we just have to take each game as it comes.
“No-one knows what happens in football, it changes all the time.
"We’re just going to go out and do the best we can and try to get as many points as we can and who knows what can happen?”
Idah’s commitment to the cause is commendable, but in the cold light of day, he and his team-mates were teetering on the precipice after Wednesday night’s desperately unfortunate defeat in Portugal and were nudged over it by Azerbaijan.