Ni 'won't Fear Anyone' In World Cup Play-off Draw - Bradley

Northern Ireland's Conor Bradley says location is "no point" being intimidated by nan level of guidance they will look successful their play-off for nan 2026 World Cup.

Defeat by Slovakia successful Kosice connected Friday nighttime ensured Michael O'Neill's broadside will spell into those pivotal fixtures successful March by kindness of winning their Nations League group past twelvemonth alternatively than arsenic nan higher seed afforded to runners-up from qualifying groups.

As such, successful Thursday's tie they will beryllium paired against 1 of nan highest classed sides successful nan chapeau for nan semi-finals, a group which presently would see nan likes of Italy, Turkey and Poland.

"I deliberation we've travel connected rather a batch successful nan past fewer campaigns, nan Nations League and this [qualifying] run and I deliberation we conscionable request to effort and support continuing connected that upwards trajectory," said Liverpool defender Bradley.

"We decidedly won't fearfulness anyone. I deliberation it's each to play for and it's 2 games distant from a World Cup truthful there's nary constituent fearing anyone."

Pot Three and Pot Four teams successful nan play-offs are automatically distant from location successful semi-finals, thing Bradley acknowledges will beryllium an further challenge.

The broadside person won conscionable 2 competitory fixtures connected their travels since O'Neill returned arsenic head successful December 2022 pinch those victories coming against San Marino and Luxembourg.

Bradley described nan trouble of winning distant from location arsenic his "biggest learning" crossed 29 world caps to date.

"Any crippled wherever you travel distant from home, it's ever going to beryllium truthful difficult but I deliberation nan much you get acquisition of these situations nan much you tin decidedly study from it and hopefully we tin do that," he said.

"It's bully to get a play-off. Obviously it's going to beryllium brilliant.

"It's going to beryllium difficult, but we're really looking guardant to it. We're 2 games distant from being astatine a World Cup which is beautiful special."

Ultimately nan margins successful Group A came down to Slovakia beating Germany astatine location while Northern Ireland were beaten doubly by nan four-time World Cup winners.

Indeed, while it matters small successful position of nan last table, Northern Ireland were overmuch much convincing successful their 2-0 triumph complete Slovakia astatine Windsor Park past period than their hosts were successful Kosice connected Friday night.

After Tomas Bobcek's stoppage-time winner, frustrations appeared to boil complete pinch words exchanged betwixt nan 2 sets of players pursuing nan last whistle, while O'Neill said opposing head Francesco Calzona did not shingle his manus aft nan game.

"It was disappointing, really. I deliberation erstwhile we hit them successful Belfast, I deliberation we had a spot much people astir america aft nan game," Bradley said.

"They were benignant of giving it a spot more. It's disappointing but I'm judge we'll spot them again."

Midfielder Isaac Price was arsenic unimpressed pinch Slovakia's consequence to nan triumph which kept live their hopes of qualifying not conscionable for nan play-offs but automatically astatine nan disbursal of Germany for nan tourney successful North America adjacent summer.

"I deliberation immoderate of their players had a batch to opportunity particularly ones that didn't play," said nan West Bromwich Albion player. "I deliberation if you're playing successful nan crippled and you want to person a popular past that's fine, but if you're a 3rd prime goalkeeper and you're not playing, I deliberation conscionable beryllium quiet.

"They had a fewer words to say. They looked overly excited but that's a compliment to us. I deliberation they took that arsenic a really large consequence and it is simply a large consequence for them.

"I deliberation we were acold amended than them astatine home. They wanted revenge and yet they sewage it."