Republic of Ireland National Team: Boys in Green Football Squad, Fixtures and African Kick Off Times

The Republic of Ireland national team is the men's football side of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), founded in 1921, and it plays its home matches at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Known as the Boys in Green, Ireland first reached a major tournament at Euro 1988 and went as far as the World Cup quarter finals in 1990. For South Africans following Ireland through soccer, the Boys in Green's squad listings sit alongside fixtures and records; Irish starting times carry four African clock references together: GMT, SAST, WAT and EAT.

Chiedozie Ogbene was born in Lagos and moved to Cork as a child. The squad module lists players and clubs, while the fixture module shows match times in each African time zone. So, if you only have a minute on your phone before the match, the kick off table and the squad module are the first places to look.

Who Are the Republic of Ireland, and How Are They Different From Northern Ireland?

The Republic of Ireland are the national team of the FAI, the federation set up in Dublin in 1921, and they are a different side from Northern Ireland. Before 1921, a single Ireland team was run from Belfast by the Irish Football Association, and that body still runs the Northern Ireland team today. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have separate national teams and football associations.

The nickname Boys in Green refers to Ireland's traditional green playing shirts, as documented in the encyclopaedia entry on the national team. Ireland's tournament history includes the quarter finals of the 1990 World Cup. If you follow other European sides, our guide to national teams puts Ireland beside the rest.

Who Is in the Ireland Squad, and Which Clubs Do They Play For?

Ireland's selections appear above, arranged by playing role and refreshed after squad announcements. The squad module identifies each selected player’s club and position.

Use Ireland's results alongside individual squad entries to put performances in context. Read appearances and goals alongside minutes played and the opposition when comparing players. Club moves happen every transfer window, so the club column is the place to check rather than any name written into the copy. Chiedozie Ogbene, Adam Idah and Festy Ebosele have Nigerian heritage and have represented Ireland.

Ireland Fixtures: What Time Is Kick Off in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Kampala?

Ireland's fixture entries bring WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT kick off conversions together for supporters across Africa. The Irish capital follows GMT during winter, then advances its clocks by an hour for summer. For a winter fixture at the Aviva, add one hour to Dublin's time in Lagos, two in Johannesburg and three in either Nairobi or Kampala. During Irish summer time, supporters in Lagos use the Dublin start time; Johannesburg adds an hour, while viewers in Kenya and Uganda add two. Accra keeps GMT throughout the year, matching a winter start in Dublin but showing an hour earlier during Ireland's summer.

An evening start at Ireland's Dublin home means West African supporters can often watch during their evening, while East African viewers need to allow for a later finish. For someone following the Boys in Green from Kampala or Nairobi, checking the displayed EAT start helps with planning around a possible finish near midnight in winter. Ireland's fixture entries also carry viewing information for each country; consult the relevant match listing because broadcast arrangements can differ between international windows.

When Was Heimir Hallgrímsson Appointed Ireland Coach?

Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Icelandic coach who jointly managed Iceland at Euro 2016, was appointed Ireland head coach in 2024, and the FAI announced in 2026 that his contract would extend beyond the Euro 2028 campaign. At Euro 2016, the Iceland side he jointly managed reached the quarter finals. In September 2026, the FAI also extended the contracts of his assistants, John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy. The Irish Times reported those contract announcements in September 2026.

How Do You Read Ireland's Nations League Group and Qualifying Path?

The Nations League table in the data module shows Ireland's group, their points and where they sit, and it updates after every match. UEFA's Nations League splits Europe into leagues by strength, with promotion and relegation between them, so a strong group finish can lift Ireland into a higher league while a weaker one sends them down. The table, or log in South Africa, also matters beyond the group itself, because Nations League placings feed into the seeding and play off routes for World Cup and European Championship qualifying.

In November 2025, Ireland beat Portugal and Hungary to reach the 2026 World Cup qualifying play offs, a run that reminded supporters how much a single window can change. Qualifying formats determine which group positions secure direct entry and which offer a play off route. Euro 2028 is a special case, because Ireland are among the hosts, and the qualifying rules for host nations are set by UEFA, so check the latest format in the competition module.

Who Holds the Republic of Ireland Records?

Robbie Keane holds both main records, with 68 goals and 146 caps, and he retired from international football in 2016. Those numbers set a very high bar, and the records module above tracks how close active players are getting. Shay Given, the long serving goalkeeper, sits high on the appearance list, and Séamus Coleman, the full back who has captained the side, is another name Ireland fans hold in great respect. Troy Parrott, the Dublin born striker, became a fan favourite in the November 2025 wins that sent Ireland into the play offs, and supporters will watch his place in the goal list closely. For the live numbers, the records module is the place to read.

What Have Ireland Done at Major Tournaments?

Ireland's first major tournament was Euro 1988 in West Germany, where Ray Houghton's header beat England 1-0 in Stuttgart on 12 June 1988. Jack Charlton, a World Cup winner with England in 1966, managed Ireland from 1986 to 1995 and took them to their first two World Cups. At Italia 1990, Ireland beat Romania on penalties in the last 16 and reached the quarter finals, where they lost 1-0 to the hosts in Rome. In 1994, Houghton scored again, after 11 minutes, to beat Italy 1-0 in the opening match, before the Netherlands ended the run in the last 16.

The 2002 World Cup brought a 1-1 draw with Cameroon, a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a last 16 exit to Spain on penalties. Ireland then qualified for Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, and the second of those produced one of the great Dublin nights in a French stadium, a 1-0 win over Italy settled by a Robbie Brady header. Hosts France ended the journey in the last 16. As such, Italy have been the opponent in three of the best remembered Irish matches, which is a fun pattern for any quiz night in Accra.

Where Do Ireland Play, and What Does Euro 2028 Mean for African Fans?

Ireland play home matches at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in 2010 and holds roughly 51,700 people. It sits close to the city centre, and on match nights the streets around it fill with green shirts hours before kick off. Irish supporters are widely known for singing, friendliness and good behaviour at tournaments, and their conduct at Euro 2016 in France was praised by local officials and in the press across Europe.

UEFA chose the United Kingdom and Ireland to host Euro 2028, with matches planned at the Aviva Stadium. For African fans who follow the tournament, Dublin will be one of the host cities, and the time difference is small, so evening matches will fall in comfortable viewing hours from Accra to Nairobi. Ticketing is run by UEFA, and dates are confirmed by the organisers, so check the official tournament information closer to the time before planning any travel.

Why Do Fans in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda Follow Ireland?

Ireland's Nigerian heritage internationals provide a direct connection for African readers. Chiedozie Ogbene was born in Lagos, moved to Cork as a child and chose Ireland. He made his Ireland debut in 2021. Adam Idah and Festy Ebosele also have Nigerian heritage, and each of them chose Ireland too.

Ireland's 2002 World Cup opener against Cameroon finished 1-1, providing a tournament meeting with the Indomitable Lions. That match and the Nigerian roots of Ogbene, Idah and Ebosele offer distinct African connections within Ireland's football history.

Is It Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or Éire?

Republic of Ireland is the name used in FIFA and UEFA competitions to distinguish the FAI team from Northern Ireland. Ireland is also used for the FAI side, while Éire is the Irish language name for the country. The Dublin side is the team covered by these squad, fixture and record modules.

Republic of Ireland Squad: Where Do You Find the Latest Call Ups?

Ireland's call ups appear in the upper squad panel, where playing roles organise the entries and club details accompany the names. Selection announcements trigger updates to that list. Club details also help readers trace links between Irish internationals and African teammates.

Ireland Fixtures and Results: How Do You Check Both?

Separate panels distinguish Ireland's scheduled games from matches already played. Each Ireland match entry identifies the competition and venue, with WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT conversions displayed together. Completed scores appear after the final whistle.

Republic of Ireland Fixtures: Which Competitions Do They Cover?

Ireland's fixture list brings together friendlies, Nations League games and qualifying ties for the European Championship and World Cup. Competition labels distinguish points contests from friendly internationals. Dublin's seasonal clock adjustment makes the African time conversions useful when planning to watch.