2022 World Cup hosts Qatar have been added to Ireland's World Cup qualifying group.
Ireland were drawn in Group A of the European qualifying section on Monday along with Portugal, Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. It was one of five groups to feature just five teams.
The addition was confirmed on Tuesday when the FAI announced fixture dates for the qualifiers.
The decision will provide Qatar - who automatically qualify for the tournament as hosts - with 10 friendlies in preparation for the competition. Results against Qatar will not count towards the standings in the group.
It is a move similar to that done with France for the 2016 European Championship qualifiers.
The game away to Qatar will be played at a European venue.
In a statement regarding the fixtures, the FAI said that "no ticket details will be available for some time as the Associations await developments on the return of fans in the COVID-19 era".
GROUP A EUROPEAN QUALIFYING - 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP
March 2021
Wednesday, 24th – Serbia away
Saturday, 27th – Luxembourg home
Tuesday, 30th – Qatar home, non-competitive
September 2021
Wednesday, 1st – Portugal away
Saturday, 4th – Azerbaijan home
Tuesday, 7th – Serbia home
October 2021
Saturday, 9th – Azerbaijan away
Tuesday, 12th – Qatar away, non-competitive (game to be played in Europe)
November 2021
Thursday, 11th – Portugal home
Sunday, 14th – Luxembourg away
See Also: How Ireland Risked Expulsion From The European Championships Over Yugoslavian Quarrel
