PARIS, France, Nov 16 – European champions Italy missed out on automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup after being held to a goalless draw by Northern Ireland in Belfast on Monday, ceding top spot in Group C to Switzerland who beat Bulgaria 4-0.
The Italians needed to match Switzerland’s result to qualify directly but while Roberto Mancini’s side could only stutter to a stalemate, the Swiss went on the rampage in Lucerne to book their ticket for Qatar.
There they will find England, the team the Italians beat in the Euro 2020 final in July, who clinched their qualification with a rampant Harry Kane bagging four goals in 15 minutes in a 10-0 win in San Marino.
“The qualification was earned away in Budapest, in Warsaw, in Albania and I’ve got to credit all of our players and staff on a really good year,” said England manager Gareth Southgate.
“The mentality, even in a game like tonight, we can’t do anything about the level of the opposition but the way we played was terrific.”
Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain and Serbia have also qualified directly from Europe. One more place will go to one of Netherlands, Norway or Turkey on Tuesday with the remaining spots to be settled through the play-offs in March.
The same fate befell Italy in 2018 when they famously failed to qualify for the World Cup after a miserable aggregate defeat to Sweden.
“Right now it is what it is, we struggle to score goals, we always have control of the play… It’s a shame because the group should have been finished before this match,” Mancini told RAI.
“I have faith, let’s see in March, but we might even win it.”
The Italians rarely troubled the home side, only coming to life when news trickled through of Switzerland’s goal-scoring in Lucerne.
Noah Okafor’s strike put the Swiss ahead three minutes into the second half and after Xherdan Shaqiri hit the post, Ruben Vargas doubled the score.
The Swiss then had two goals ruled out for offside but when Cedric Itten headed in for 3-0 after 72 minutes, it meant Italy needed to win by two in Belfast.
Roberto Mancini laments Italy’s inability to take chances as they failed to beat Northern Ireland, missing out on automatic qualification for the World Cup © AFP / Paul Faith
As the Italians grew more frantic and almost gave away a goal to Conor Washington, who had a shot scrambled off the line, the Swiss nailed the outcome with Remo Freuler making it 4-0 in added time.
