Dara O’Shea makes ‘disappointing’ Ireland admission following Kosovo defeat

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·24 September 2026

Dara O’Shea makes ‘disappointing’ Ireland admission following Kosovo defeat

Dara O’Shea admitted that the Republic of Ireland did not play well on the ball as they fell to a late defeat against Kosovo in the UEFA Nations League.

The Boys In Green were forced to defend for much of the night in Pristina and managed to hold off the hosts until the 83rd minute, when Vedat Muriqi headed in from close range.

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The Fenerbahce striker appeared to push over a defender right before scoring, but the VAR upheld the referee’s decision of a goal.

Dara O’Shea admits Ireland ‘disappointing’ in Kosovo defeat

“It’s a disappointing night,” O’Shea told RTÉ. “We didn’t play great football at all but I thought we did enough with how we defended. It was backs to the wall stuff. We knew it would be tough against a really good side. It was a tough atmosphere and a difficult pitch, but we’re disappointed.

“It was a tough battle and we had prepared for that. We’re really disappointed with the manner of how we conceded.”