The FAI have confirmed June friendlies for the Republic of Ireland against Senegal at the Aviva Stadium and a trip to Luxembourg as preparation for the opening World Cup qualifier against Hungary in Dublin on September 6th.
The 2021 African Nations champions are expected to bring a host of players from top European clubs and former Liverpool winger Sadio Mané.
Senegal reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup when they were beaten 3-0 by England. They are currently 17th in the Fifa world rankings while Ireland are 60th.
“I’m delighted the association has been able to secure top quality opposition in Senegal,” said Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Ireland head coach. “Testing ourselves against a top tier international side is crucial for the players' development but also for our preparations for World Cup qualifying.
“It is also a fixture which should excite the players and supporters alike, playing against players from top leagues from around the world in what will be our first-ever international fixture against each other and we look forward to welcoming them to Dublin.
“We will then travel to Luxembourg, a different type of test for our players away from home and crucially, our final game before the World Cup campaign starts. Both matches are equally important in our preparations and we look forward to an important window.”
June fixtures
Date TBC
Republic of Ireland v Senegal, Aviva Stadium, TBC
Tuesday, June 10th
Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland, Stade de Luxembourg, 7.45pm (Irish Time)
