Head to Head: Northern Ireland vs Kazakhstan
Northern Ireland Look to Bounce Back Against Kazakhstan
After a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Denmark, Northern Ireland will be looking to bounce back when they face Kazakhstan on Monday 19 June at Windsor Park. With the game kicking off at 19:45 BST, Northern Ireland will be hoping to put on a show for the Green and White Army at home.
Josh Magennis on the Denmark Defeat
Josh Magennis, who was watching the game from the sidelines due to injury, had this to say about the Denmark defeat: “We defended as a unit and played good football at times on the counter-attack. The lads really brought the intensity and stood up well to a highly technical Denmark side in what was a raucous atmosphere. We made Denmark work really hard for a 1-0 win and, in the end, came away gutted that we didn’t take anything from the game because of that rollercoaster finish.”
Callum Marshall’s Fairytale Moment
Callum Marshall was given his international debut against Denmark and scored what looked like an important goal. Magennis said of the moment: “That is fairytale stuff. It’s what you dream of as a player. I’ll never forget scoring my first Northern Ireland goal and, in the moment, I was living every second of it with Callum.” Unfortunately, VAR intervened and the goal was taken away from Callum.
Preparing for a Big Night at Windsor Park
Magennis spoke about how he prepares for a big night at Windsor Park: “Waking up on a Windsor matchday is a great feeling. When it’s an evening kick-off, like Monday’s will be, it can feel like a long day but that’s all part of the challenge of preparing yourself at this level. We’d normally have breakfast then go to a local pitch and nail down some set-piece routines and other tactical bits and pieces. Then we’d head back and have lunch. A few of the lads like to sleep in the afternoon. I tried that when I was younger, but I’ve found that staying alert is better for me. I prefer to have a coffee and chill out for a bit.”
Head to Head: Northern Ireland vs Kazakhstan
Northern Ireland have faced Kazakhstan four times since 2006, winning two, drawing one and losing one. The most recent meeting between the two sides was in October 2018 when Northern Ireland won 3-1 in Astana.
Northern Ireland will be hoping to replicate that result when they face Kazakhstan on Monday night and get back to winning ways after their heartbreaking defeat to Denmark. Coverage of the game will be live on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds; live text commentary, report and reaction on BBC Sport website & app; highlights on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22:40 BST on Monday.