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Football: Poland to take on Albania in second Euro 2024 qualifier

27.03.2023 07:30
Poland’s national football team is set to take on Albania in its second Euro 2024 qualifier in Warsaw on Monday.
Audio
Poland players during a training session in Warsaw ahead of the teams Euro 2024 qualifier against Albania.
Poland players during a training session in Warsaw ahead of the team's Euro 2024 qualifier against Albania.Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

The match at the Polish capital's National Stadium kicks off at 8:45 p.m. Warsaw time.

It follows a bitter 1-3 defeat suffered by the Poles at the hands of the Czech Republic in their opening Euro 2024 qualifying game three days earlier.

The Poles, captained by star striker Robert Lewandowski and coached by Portuguese manager Fernando Santos, are looking to make amends in front of a home crowd for their forgettable performance in Prague on Friday.

Poland are ranked 22nd worldwide by football's governing body FIFA, while Albania are No. 66 in the FIFA table.

Poland boss Fernando Santos (right) and player Jan Bednarek (left) during a pre-match press conference in Warsaw on Sunday, March 26, 2023 Poland boss Fernando Santos (right) and player Jan Bednarek (left) during a pre-match press conference in Warsaw on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

Poland’s qualifying Group E also includes the Faroe Islands and Moldova.

Euro 2024 qualifiers will be played between March and November this year, with the top two teams from each group qualifying directly for the championships.

The Euro 2024 tournament will be held from June 14 to July 14, 2024 in 10 cities in Germany, with the final played at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Russia has been banned from competing in Euro 2024 over its invasion of Ukraine.

Portugal's Santos took over as Poland manager in January.

Poland failed to get past the group stage at the postponed Euro 2020 tournament, where they suffered a defeat to Slovakia before drawing with Spain and losing the decisive game against Sweden.

The Polish team made it through to the quarterfinals of the Euro 2016 championships in France, losing to Portugal on penalties.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP

Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Piotr Miszczuk.