Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson believes that the team is building confidence after their recent 1-1 draw against Senegal at the Aviva Stadium. The match saw Kasey McAteer, making his first start for the national side, score in the first half, only for Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr to equalize late in the game.

Despite the draw, Hallgrímsson expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, particularly highlighting their ability to contain a strong Senegal side. Senegal, ranked 19th in the FIFA world rankings and unbeaten in their last 20 matches, posed a significant challenge for the Republic of Ireland, who are currently ranked 60th. Hallgrímsson noted that his team executed their defensive strategy effectively, limiting Senegal's goal-scoring opportunities.

"There were times where we defended without the ball, we made them look quite average," Hallgrímsson said. "But I'm mostly happy that they didn't create a lot of goalscoring chances. Let's be honest, we're not one of the best teams in the world and this is how we need to play against teams that will dominate possession." He emphasized the importance of patience and capitalizing on opportunities when they arise, stating, "We need to wait for our chances and take them when they come. In this area, confidence is growing."

Hallgrímsson was particularly impressed with McAteer's performance, who marked his international debut with a goal. "He showed a lot of confidence, took players on and got the goal as a reward," Hallgrímsson said. "I'm really happy for him."

The Republic of Ireland are set to face Luxembourg in their final friendly before embarking on their World Cup qualifying campaign, where they will compete against Portugal, Hungary, and Armenia. Hallgrímsson aims to carry the momentum from their recent unbeaten run into the upcoming challenges.

The manager acknowledges that the journey to improvement is gradual, but he senses a positive shift within the squad. "We will need to be patient, these steps are taken small steps at a time but this was really pleasing because if we wouldn't have done this as well as we did, we would have suffered against this team," he said.

The draw against Senegal has seemingly boosted morale and validated Hallgrímsson's approach, instilling a belief that the team can compete against higher-ranked opponents. Eamon Dunphy stated that the team is good enough to qualify for the World Cup. He also noted that Ireland has a young team that is getting better and confidence has increased. He also added that the team redeemed coach Hallgrimsson, who he has criticised.