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Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has told his players they must believe they can still qualify automatically for the Euro 2024 finals until it becomes a mathematical impossibility. The chances of Ireland making it to next summer’s finals effectively evaporated last month when they were beaten by Group B rivals France and the Netherlands, and even the prospect of a back-door ticket via the play-offs looks unlikely given their Nations League ranking. However beleaguered boss Kenny, who has come under intense pressure as a result of just a single victory in the opening five qualifiers – and that against minnows Gibraltar – remained defiant as he plotted revenge against Greece, who got the better of his side in Athens in June. The manager said: “We want to finish the group strongly. We are still in contention for automatic qualification. “It’s not in our own hands, we are relying on results elsewhere. We have to see if we can take it to the November window and the only way we can do that is by taking six points from this window. “It may not be enough, but we’d be kicking ourselves if we didn’t do that and results did happen elsewhere. “We do our side. We win the games we need to win and that starts with Greece on Friday.” Kenny’s desperation to get the better of Greece has been fuelled in part by a perception that opposite number Gus Poyet went into the reverse fixture armed with detailed knowledge of how to combat Ireland. Assistant Keith Andrews suggested earlier this week that Poyet, in doing his homework on the Republic, had used his contacts from Ireland to get the low-down on players and tactics. Kenny, however, played down talk of a spying scandal, insisting the Greeks had had no help from within his camp. Asked if he had any surprises up his sleeve for Poyet, he said with a smile: “Yes, I had Theo Zagorakis in the hotel in Castleknock earlier. He’s coming down and we’ll see how he is.” Kenny added: “It’s all quite possible, but listen, I’m not getting hung up on that and certainly we’re just focused on preparing the team for the game on Friday.” Ireland have been boosted by the return of Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who missed last month’s fixtures with a knee injury, although Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics, who wad called up to replace Aaron Connolly following his withdrawal, has left the squad for family reasons. Just how different the Republic’s situation might have been had blossoming talent Ferguson been available against the French and the Dutch is a moot point, but Kenny is convinced the motivation of his players will be as high as ever despite the seeming futility of their position. The reality is, although it’s an outside chance, mathematically we still have a chance Stephen Kenny He said: “Firstly, it’s a huge honour just to put on the green shirt and to represent your country, especially in a qualifier. “The reality is, although it’s an outside chance, mathematically we still have a chance. As long as that is the case, we must give everything of ourselves all the time. “That’s not in question. I think they will be hugely motivated, the players, to try to fulfil their potential in this game.” Read More New Wales international Regan Poole: I owe a lot to Manchester United Talking points as Marseille and Paris prepare to host World Cup quarter-finals Conor Murray says New Zealand-born trio ‘so important’ to Ireland World Cup bid Dan Biggar and Liam Williams fit for Wales’ quarter-final against Argentina 5 Wales’ World Cup quarter-finals as Warren Gatland’s side gear up to face Pumas 5 memorable meetings between Wales and Argentina

Jaren Jackson Jr. is impacting the game on the defensive end in a way few can match. He ranked No. 6 on our list of the best young players in the NBA.

Serena Williams will be given the Icon Award at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards.

Michael Strahan has revealed that he loves feeling like the "black James Bond" when he wears a suit.

Sen. Rand Paul hints at interest to join COVID-19 vaccine debate with Aaron Rodgers, Dr. Fauci, Travis Kelce ... Steve Scalise nominated as House speaker candid

LONDON Higher interest rates have so far not seriously undermined the global financial system, but "there is work

Delta Air Lines says it made $1.11 billion in the third quarter, thanks to planes that were packed with travelers this summer

Forget about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, her and Beyoncé are the true power pair of the year. On Wednesday night it was the era of two queens when Beyoncé attended the premiere for Swift's "Eras Tour" concert film in Los Angeles.

Japan’s government says it will ask a court to revoke the legal status of the Unification Church after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination raised questions about the group’s fundraising and recruitment tactics

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) will end its partnership with the UFC in January after Conor McGregor’s return to its testing pool this week, claiming that the saga has made the organisations’ relationship ‘untenable’. Usada announced on Wednesday (11 October) that McGregor had re-entered its testing pool, as the former champion prepares for his first fight since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. In order to compete in the UFC, athletes must have been in the pool for six months while returning zero positive test results and at least two negatives. That means McGregor’s earliest possible return date is in April, but Usada admitted that it would not be able to ensure that the Irishman serves the full six months, because it will not be renewing its partnership with the UFC in January. Usada clarified that the move was the result of its discomfort with the McGregor saga, after the UFC and the fighter suggested earlier this year that Usada might grant the 35-year-old an exemption to facilitate an earlier in-ring return. “We can confirm that Conor McGregor has re-entered the Usada testing pool as of Sunday 8 October 2023,” said Usada CEO Travis Tygart in a statement. “We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. The rules also allow Usada to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results. “Unfortunately, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of 1 January 2024, Usada will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. “Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed Usada on Monday 9 October that it was going in a different direction. We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon. The UFC’s move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under Usada’s leadership. “The relationship between Usada and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning Usada’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months. “Fighters’ long-term health and safety – in addition to a fair and level playing field – are more important to Usada than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes. Usada is proud of the work we’ve done over the past eight years to clean up the UFC, and we will continue to provide our unparalleled service to UFC athletes through the remainder of our current contract, which ends 31 December 2023. “As always, we will continue to uphold the rights and voices of clean athletes in all sport.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Kamaru Usman to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 after Paulo Costa withdraws Charles Oliveira replaced by Alexander Volkanovski in Islam Makhachev fight UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year

An executive at Vivo, one of China's top smartphone makers, has been arrested in India in connection with a money laundering probe, raising fears of a renewed crackdown on Chinese businesses in the country.

Thursday night's college football schedule feature an exciting showdown between Big 12 rivals and a sneaky-good AAC matchup.