The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed a realignment of its men’s under-age coaching structure to maximise support for the Republic of Ireland’s participation in the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, taking place in Qatar this November.

The changes are designed to allow Head Coach Colin O’Brien and his World Cup-bound squad to focus fully on tournament preparation, with Ireland drawn in Group J alongside Paraguay, Panama, and Uzbekistan.

To ensure continuity and maintain a consistent coaching philosophy across the player pathway, the following temporary adjustments will be implemented:

- Paul Osam, current Head Coach of the U-16s, will step up to lead the new 2025/26 U-17 squad, continuing his work with the same group of players as they progress to the next age level.

- Jason Donohue, current Head Coach of the U-15s, will continue in that role while also managing the new U-16 squad, ensuring consistency across both age groups and maintaining strong connections with the players.

This structure ensures that all under-age international teams continue their own programmes without disruption while World Cup preparations are ongoing. Paul Osam’s first assignment with the new U-17 squad will be at a development tournament next week, where Ireland will face Turkey, Iceland, and Hungary. The squad for this tournament will be announced shortly.

Shane Robinson, FAI Interim Technical Director, said: “This realignment is designed to achieve two key objectives. Firstly, it provides our U-17 World Cup staff with the dedicated time and focus required to prepare for a major global tournament. Secondly, and just as importantly, it ensures absolute continuity for our players, with both Paul and Jason stepping up with groups of players they know exceptionally well.

“With the World Cup campaign demanding significant focus, including a dedicated preparation camp in September before they report for the World Cup in October, it was essential to realign our coaching structure to ensure all of our international age groups are effectively managed during this period.”