Chloe Mustaki: Ireland defender enjoying best spell of career ahead of Kazakhstan playoff

It’s a whole 17 years since the Republic of Ireland’s women played in Kazakhstan, the game proving to be the last in the senior international career of one of their midfielders who had decided to focus on another sport. She did all right at it too, did Katie Taylor.

Ireland had to come from behind to win their World Cup qualifier 2-1 that day in Taldykorgan, a repeat of the result between the sides the previous month in Turner’s Cross. They were narrow shaves against a team that went on to suffer its record defeat – 17-0 at the hands of Germany – just two years later.