Shane Ferguson (Northern Ireland), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Iceland) and Mahlon Romeo (Antigua and Barbuda) will all be packing their bags as qualifying campaigns for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar gets under way this week.
Ferguson’s form for the Lions this season hasn’t been up to the previous standards he’s set himself. The Northern Irishman has only made the squad in 26 of the 38 games played so far, of which he’s only played in 13 and started just two.
Though the statistics don’t look pretty for him, this lack of a run of games in the side has also coincided in the Lions’ other left-wing back, Scott Malone finding a good run of form that’s been keeping him out of the side.
His unfavourable form for Millwall this season hasn’t been overlooked by Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough though, who’s named Ferguson in his squad of 27 to open their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Ferguson made his international debut for Northern Ireland back in 2009 as a 17-year-old. He’s currently sat on 46 caps for his country and is due to hit his half century later this year.
The Green and White Army get their World Cup qualification campaign under way on Thursday night as they face group favourites Italy in Parma, followed by a home match against Bulgaria in Belfast on Wednesday 31st March.
Sandwiched between the two qualifiers is a friendly against USA on Sunday, also in Belfast.
Ferguson and his fellow and countrymen will be determined to be part of the first Northern Irish side to reach the World Cup since 1986.
Not Ideal
Bodvarsson’s form in front of goal this season hasn’t been ideal for Lions manager Gary Rowett and his side, with just one goal and two assists in 35 games this season.
Rowett has preferred to use the Icelandic more often than he’s used Ferguson this season, but perhaps that’s down to a lot of disappointing performances from the Lions’ strikers this season, resulting in the manager not being able to find a partnership capable of scoring consistently across the season.
Bodvarsson has been an ever-present in the Iceland squad over the last couple of years however and has 55 caps to show for it. Despite this, he has just three goals to his name for his home country. The striker has been called up to play for Iceland by new manager Arnar Vidarsson for the three World Cup qualifying games coming up, all of which are away from home.
The Nordic nation will be desperate to put the disappointment of failing to qualify for Euro 2020 behind them, so will be intent on seeing off a tough group to qualify for just the second World Cup in their nation’s history.
Their campaign also gets underway on Thursday, and like Ferguson with his Northern Ireland side, starts with the most difficult fixture of the group on paper , as they face Germany away in Duisburg. Iceland follow up the trip to Germany by travelling to Yerevan to face Armenia on Sunday and finally to Vaduz to face Liechtenstein on Wednesday.
Best Possible Start
Romeo has had a very successful season for the Lions this season, making that right-wing-back spot his own under Rowett, despite facing tough competition from Danny McNamara after he returned from his loan spell at St Johnstone in January.
Romeo’s started 27 games out of the 34 he’s been available for, including 10 of the last 11 games.
The 25-year-old right back’s strong from this season has earned him his first call up to the ‘Benna Boys’ since 2018 as Antigua and Barbuda hope to defy the odds and secure their first qualification to a major tournament in their history.
The first round of CONCACAF qualifying gets underway with the Antiguans and Barbudans taking on Montserrat in Curacao on Wednesday night, followed by an away tie against the US Virgin Islands on Saturday. Only the first-place team in each group go through to the second round so Romeo and his side will be insistent on getting off to the best possible start.
