Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill voiced his frustration following his team’s 1-0 defeat to Slovakia in Kosice during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, criticizing refereeing decisions that he believes unfairly influenced the outcome.

Striker Tomas Bobcek scored a late winner in stoppage time after Northern Ireland had two earlier goals disallowed. O’Neill, shown a yellow card at the final whistle, revealed it was for telling referee Istvan Kovacs to “be stronger” during the tense encounter.

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Controversial Moments in Kosice

Northern Ireland felt that Bobcek’s decisive goal should also have been disallowed due to a push by Slovak substitute Leo Sauer on defender Daniel Ballard in the build-up. Earlier in the match:

• Lukas Haraslin’s 56th-minute free-kick was initially thought to be a goal but was ruled out as Milan Skriniar obstructed goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
• Another strike, finished by David Strelec from a Haraslin set-piece, was disallowed by VAR for handball.

O’Neill expressed frustration over what he saw as inconsistent refereeing, arguing that the late winner should have been judged by the same standards as the earlier disallowed goals.

“It was a clear push on Daniel Ballard at the corner, two hands in his back,” O’Neill said.
“You can’t referee the last incident differently to how you refereed the other two incidents.”

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Tensions and Suspensions

Adding to O’Neill’s frustration, Ballard was sent off for a second yellow card, and midfielder George Saville also received a booking. Both players will now miss Monday’s game against Luxembourg.

Commenting on Ballard’s second yellow, O’Neill said:

“The [second] yellow card for Daniel is a joke. If you look at it back, it is poor. He is a top referee, has refereed the Champions League final, and he should have disallowed the goal.”

O’Neill also criticized the Slovak technical area for their behavior, describing the celebrations after the winning goal as “disappointing” and noting that opposing coach Francesco Calzona did not shake his hand.

“Everything was on the line for Slovakia. You could tell by the way their technical area behaved,” O’Neill added.
“Ultimately, we congratulate Slovakia because they can go to Germany and try to win the group.”

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Northern Ireland Still in World Cup Play-Offs

Despite the defeat, Northern Ireland secured a spot in the March 2026 World Cup play-offs thanks to winning their Nations League group last November. However, the loss impacts their seeding, placing them in the lowest group of seeds heading into the play-offs.

O’Neill remains focused on the upcoming matches, determined to guide Northern Ireland through a challenging route to World Cup qualification in North America.