Goalkeeper Matej Kovar saved two penalties in a shootout to take the Czech Republic past Ireland in their 2026 World Cup play-off in Prague on Thursday.
Eyeing their first World Cup berth since 2006, the Czechs now face Denmark in the play-off final in Prague on March 31 for a ticket to the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The winner of this play-off bracket will face Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A of the World Cup in June and July.
Ireland raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half but the Czechs soon pulled one back with a penalty and then equalised just five minutes from time.
After a tense extra time the Czechs converted four penalties to Ireland’s three in the shootout.
“I just feel pain,” said Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson.
“I feel pride for the performance of the players, they gave it all. I feel gratitude towards the supporters that showed up and supported us the whole game, even after the loss. I feel pride being a part of that group.”
“But I know all the players will feel pain now,” the Icelandic coach said.
Troy Parrott opened the scoring for Ireland from the spot on 19 minutes, beating Kovar for his sixth goal in this qualifying campaign.
The penalty was awarded following a delayed VAR review of a foul on Ireland skipper Nathan Collins in the Czech box three minutes earlier.
Ireland went two goals up four minutes later when Dara O’Shea headed a corner towards the Czech goal and a disoriented Kovar knocked the ball into the net after a series of deflections.
Patrik Schick brought the hosts within a goal from the spot against the run of play in the 27th minute after Ryan Manning had pulled Czech skipper Ladislav Krejci down in the box.
The Czechs looked toothless for most of the second half, but Krejci headed home from a corner late on, taking the game to extra time and then penalties.
Parrott, Adam Idah and Robbie Brady converted their spot-kicks while Finn Azaz and Alan Browne were denied by Kovar.
Krejci, Tomas Soucek, Schick and Jan Kliment scored for the hosts in the shootout, with Mojmir Chytil’s poor shot stopped by Caoimhin Kelleher.
In the locker room, “everybody was down, especially those who missed,” Hallgrimsson said.
He added that Sammie Szmodics, who came on as a substitute in the 115th minute and was stretchered off after a foul two minutes later, was hospitalised in Prague after momentarily losing consciousness.
Ireland will bemoan wasted chances as Collins and Jayson Molumby hit the woodwork and Parrott was narrowly denied by a diving Kovar with an 80th-minute header.
The Czechs have made amends for a lacklustre qualification during which they swapped coaches just before the play-offs amid mounting criticism from fans and pundits.
On Wednesday, Czech police said they had charged 32 people in a massive crackdown on a match-fixing network, the second such case in less than a decade.
Long-time skipper Soucek lost the captain’s armband before the game after a fumbled attempt to console fans dismayed with the qualifying performance last autumn.
“We conceded silly goals,” veteran Czech coach Miroslav Koubek said after his first game at the helm, hailing Ireland’s combativity and high pace.
“It was a battle. I said it would be a war and a war it was, with a happy ending for us. I believe this first step will make us stronger.”
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