Overview
- Canada took the lead after a corner deflected off Troy Parrott and Jake O’Brien’s touch diverted the ball into his own net, giving the hosts a first-half advantage.
- Troy Parrott had a penalty saved by Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and Chiedozie Ogbene scored from the rebound to level the game at 1-1.
- Ogbene’s goal was his fifth for Ireland and came on his 35th cap, and he said he expects to be at Ipswich for pre-season while remaining non-committal about his longer-term club plans.
- Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson handed full international debuts to Dawson Devoy, Kian Leavy and Adam Brennan, capped Joe Hodge, and gave Corrie Ndaba his first full start as part of a selection-focused outing.
- The friendly acted as a selection and fitness test for Ireland ahead of competitive fixtures, and it provided senior exposure to League of Ireland players for the first time since 2020 while keeping player futures and club roles under close watch.