With Ireland’s World Cup play-off against Czechia just a few weeks away, tension is sure to be building in both camps ahead of what will be a massive fixture for the two nations.

Ireland have not played in a World Cup since 2002, while the Czech are now two decades on from their most recent appearance in 2006.

There is sure to be a sensational atmosphere in Prague for the fixture, with the 19,000 capacity in the Fortuna Arena ensuring that tickets will be difficult to come by.

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Ireland fans to travel in big numbers for Czechia play-off

Czechia had fears over this fixture being dominated by Ireland fans inside the ground, so much so that they put strict measures in place surrounding ticket sales.

Speaking to irozhlas.cz, Czechia legend Pavel Nedved said that he views this game as a toss-up and hopes not too many Irish supporters will manage to get into the stadium on the night (h/t Irish Independent).

If we look at the results, we are not the favourites. I see a fifty-fifty chance.

They are a very unpleasant opponent, even though they are probably not better than us in football. But they have a huge heart and fighting spirit.

They have managed to win many matches precisely because of their fighting spirit and stubbornness. If we want to succeed, we will have to match them in this regard…

Let them come, but they don’t have to be in the stands. I believe that the stadium will be full of Czech fans who will cheer for us. In any case, I know that there will be a lot of Irish fans in Prague.

Nedved is currently the General Manager of the Czech FA, meaning he would have played a part in implementing the ticketing policy for the play-offs.

A large Irish contingent is expected to descend upon the Czech capital for the fixture on March 26th, although only around 1,000 tickets will be officially available to away supporters.

It remains to be seen if a few more Ireland fans will manage to get into the stadium on the night, with the host nation keen to avoid such an outcome.

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