Colombia friendly added to Ireland pre-World Cup diary

Republic of Ireland will take on Colombia in a behind-closed-doors game as part of their preparation for the World Cup. Vera Pauw was keen to add one final game, against a top level opponent, to the schedule before they take on Australia in their World Cup opener on 20 July. . Since qualifying for the World Cup last October, Ireland have already played against Morocco, Germany, China PR and United States with games still to come against Zambia (22 June) and France (6 July) in Tallaght Stadium.

A first-ever meeting with Colombia will be played in Meakin Park, Brisbane on 14 July. With both teams keen to use their full quota of players, the fixture will not be classified as an official game but will serve as a competitive encounter between two teams preparing for the World Cup. Colombia are 26th in the FIFA rankings and were drawn into Group H in the World Cup, alongside Germany, Morocco and South Korea.

It will be their third World Cup appearance.