P W D L F A Pts
REP IRELAND 5 3 2 0 6 2 11
DENMARK 5 2 3 0 15 5 9
SWITZERLAND 4 2 2 0 10 4 8
GEORGIA 5 1 1 3 4 8 4
GIBRALTAR 5 0 0 5 0 16 0
Revelation
KEVIN MBABU
Switzerland
The 24-year-old right-back says
he does not feel comfortable in
the glare of the media spotlight.
But it looks as though, for him, it
will be impossible to avoid.
Few full-backs are as pacy
and explosive as him.
Born in the Geneva region to
a Congolese mother and French
father he admits to being a
walking, talking contradiction,
revealing: “I’ve two faces: an
aggressive temperament on
the pitch and a very relaxed
character off it, even to the point
of not caring about anything.”
Having made his senior debutfor Switzerland in a 6-0 win over
Iceland in September 2018, he
has been cutting the figure of a
class act for the last couple of
years, helping Young Boys win
back-to-back domestic league
titles, showing up well in the
Champions League and being
named the Swiss League’s Player
of the Year for 2018.
Now playing in the Bundesliga,
having joined Wolfsburg in the
summer, he still has regrets
about the disappointing three-
and-a-half years he spent in
England with Newcastle United
at the dawn of his pro career,
admitting to not getting
enough sleep at that time
and eating badly.23.03.19 Georgia-Switzerland 0-2
23.03.19 Gibraltar-Rep Ireland 0-1
26.03.19 Switzerland-Denmark 3-3
26.03.19 Rep Ireland-Georgia 1- 0
07.06.19 Georgia-Gibraltar 3-0
07.06.19 Denmark-Rep Ireland 1-1
10.06.19 Rep Ireland-Gibraltar 2-0
10.06.19 Denmark-Georgia 5-1
05.09.19 Rep Ireland-Switzerland 1-1
05.09.19 Gibraltar-Denmark 0-608.09.19 Switzerland-Gibraltar 4-0
08.09.19 Georgia-Denmark 0-0
12 .10 .19 Georgia-Rep Ireland
12 .10 .19 Denmark-Switzerland
15 .10 .19 Switzerland-Rep Ireland
15 .10 .19 Gibraltar-Georgia
15 .11.19 Switzerland-Georgia
15 .11.19 Denmark-Gibraltar
18 .11.19 Rep Ireland-Denmark
18 .11.19 Gibraltar-Switzerlandgut to spark a fightback, he chased
down Swiss full-back Kevin Mbabu,
dispossessed him and drove down the
left flank. A few seconds later, Ireland
were level as his deflected cross was
headed home by David McGoldrick.
When it comes to assessing the on-
field value of the Derry-born 30-year-
old, Ireland supporters are divided.
Naysayers see him as technically
flawed, a route-one merchant who
regularly takes the wrong option and
whose final ball is often of the hit-and-hope variety.
For his fan club, though, he is an
individual to cherish. Full of endeavour
from first moment to last, he is the
emotional leader of the side.
Needless to say, Ireland boss Mick
McCarthy – in his previous life a no-frills
stopper himself – is firmly in the pro-
McClean camp. “He was amazing,” purred
McCarthy after the Switzerland game.
“The shift he put in. That guy [Mbabu]
was quick enough, so for James to run
back and nick it off him was incredible.”GROUP D
Contradiction
...MbabuEndeavour...McClean