Bosnia-Herzegovina v Northern Ireland: Oxtoby illness adds to motivation – Callaghan

Captain Marissa Callaghan says the absence of manager Tanya Oxtoby through illness has given Northern Ireland added motivation ahead of their Euro 2025 qualifier with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Coach Stuart McLaren will take charge in Oxtoby’s absence in Zenica.

“We’ve got that bit of added fire in our tummy to make sure we try to get the win for her,” said Callaghan.

“We’re all gutted for her and gutted as players. She wants to be here but it is what it is.”

Callaghan said it was “business as usual” despite the disruption with McLaren, in his first camp with Northern Ireland, taking charge alongside Danielle McDowell Tuffey and Roy Carroll.

“We have great staff behind us, with a great medical team and coaching team,” Callaghan added, speaking to BBC Sport.

“When we got the news earlier we were all disappointed, but Stuart has been brilliant and Danielle has been here from the very start, so we’re in very capable hands.”

Northern Ireland head into the game off the back of a disappointing goalless draw with Malta, ranked 87th in the world, to open their campaign.

Aston Villa striker Simone Magill had a goal controversially ruled out and a penalty appeal waved away, but Callaghan admits the performance “wasn’t goo enough by our standards”.

Bosnia-Herzegovina lost their opener 3-0 to Portugal and will be looking to bounce back against a wounded NI.

“Obviously we know there were a few errors from the referee, but when we sit back and reflect, we just didn’t create enough,” Callaghan said.

“We still have a lot of positives to take out of it. We’ve said from the very beginning that it’s a process and we’ve been building the blocks.

“It’s about us building and creating more chances, and hopefully some of those chances will go in.

“We are getting better, so we just need to be patient and believe in the process, believe in the structures and hopefully we can create some chances and get some goals.”