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Friday, October 2, 2026

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McArdle names squad for play-offs

Michael McArdle has made a handful of changes to his squad ahead of next month’s two-legged FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 play-off against Portugal.

The Northern Ireland senior women’s team manager has called up five new faces for the games at Larne’s Inver Park on 9 October and in Portimao in southern Portugal on 13 October. Among the 23-player squad are two newcomers to the Northern Ireland set up in Kess Elmore and Lucy-Jayne Grant.

Elmore plays as an attacker for Czech Women’s First League club Sparta Prague. The 27-year-old previously had spells with St Polten in Austria, Brooklyn in the United States and French club AS Saint-Etienne. She has played in several UEFA Women’s Champions League and Europa Cup games during her club career to date.

The Liverpool-born player was on the books of Liverpool Women as a youth and then had spells in the US college system with UConn Huskies and Oregon Ducks. She previously represented England at Under-17 and U19 level. She is eligible to play for Northern Ireland through her dad, who is from Lisburn.

Lucy-Jayne Grant is a 22-year-old left back who plays for Galway United Women in the Women’s National League in the Republic of Ireland. The defender previously played for Athlone Town. From Co Cavan, she is eligible to play for Northern Ireland through her father, who hails from Co Down.

The other new faces in McArdle’s panel are midfielder Charlotte Havern, midfielder Naomi McLaughlin and defender Jane McMaster, who have all previously played for Northern Ireland at underage level.

Midfielder Havern, who turns 17 next month, made the switch from Linfield Women to Cliftonville Ladies this season – and she has performed strongly for the Reds, who have already won the league title and League Cup this season.

McLaughlin (21) is an attacking midfielder who signed for Glentoran Women from Scottish Women’s Premier League side Aberdeen back in the summer. She previously played for Cliftonville Ladies and Sion Swifts Ladies.

Twenty-two-year-old defender Jane McMaster has been a solid operator for Linfield Women over the past couple of seasons.

Sunderland Women defender Emily Cassap, who earned her first call up in June, has retained her place in the senior women’s squad and returning to the fold is Sheffield United Women midfielder Connie Scofield.

Missing out this time are midfielders Nadene Caldwell, Megan Bell and Joely Andrews, attacker Danielle Maxwell and defender Kelsie Burrows, all of whom are injured.

Northern Ireland are due to play Portugal in the first round of European play-off matches for berths at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year. If the senior women’s team defeat the Portuguese they will take on either Croatia or Iceland in the second round of play-offs. And the next step after that is potentially taking part in FIFA inter-confederation play-offs for a place at the World Cup finals.

Northern Ireland were last in action back in June when they played Turkiye and Switzerland in League B Group 2 in the European Qualifiers for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. Portugal won League B Group 3, winning five of their six games and losing one, while Michael McArdle’s side finished third in B2.

The two countries have met seven times previously, with the Portuguese winning five of those games and Northern Ireland victorious in two of them.

They last faced each other in May/June 2024 in UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifiers. Portugal won the first game in Leiria by four goals to nil, while they narrowly defeated Northern Ireland 2-1 in the reverse fixture.

Tickets are still available for the game against the Portuguese at Inver Park on Friday 9 October (7pm). The second leg of the first round play-off at Portimao Estadio in Portimao on Tuesday 13 October has a 7.15pm BST start.

(Source: irishfa.com)