Irish football supporters expressed outrage after an embarrassing administrative error saw the British national anthem played instead of Ireland's before a crucial Women's Under-19 European Championship qualifying match against Sweden.
Pitchside Confusion as Wrong Anthem Blares
The controversial incident occurred as both teams lined up on the pitch expecting to hear their respective national anthems before the important qualifier. Instead of Ireland's Amhrán na bhFiann, the unmistakable opening bars of 'God Save The King' echoed through the stadium speakers.
Fans immediately began jeering and shouting in protest upon recognising the British anthem. The confused Irish players turned toward match officials with bewildered expressions as the music continued to play. After several awkward moments, the sound system was finally stopped, but the damage had already been done.
Swedish Dominance Follows Controversial Start
The anthem blunder proved to be an unlucky omen for the Irish team, who went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat against their Swedish opponents. The match saw Ella Lundin score twice to establish a 2-0 lead for Sweden before Ireland's Katie Lawlee managed to pull a goal back in the 73rd minute.
However, any hope of an Irish comeback was dashed when Agnes Ekberg scored a late goal to seal victory for the Swedish side. The Irish players, who had already endured a confusing pre-match ceremony, now faced disappointment on the scoreboard too.
History Repeats Itself in International Football
This isn't the first time such an anthem error has occurred in international football. A similar situation took place during the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations when match officials played the wrong national anthem twice for Mauritania.
In that incident, Mauritania players were asked to sing their anthem without music following stadium sound system problems before their game against Gambia. The players reacted with visible anger, with confusion persisting for several minutes.
The Irish team now looks to regroup as they continue their qualification campaign, facing Poland on Saturday before meeting Bulgaria on Tuesday. Their hopes of reaching the second qualifying round remain alive despite this controversial start and initial defeat.
