Stephen Doyle in Zenica
Martin O'Neill won some incredible honours as a player, an English league title and two European Cups with Nottingham Forest, while as a manager he collected three league titles and SFA cups with Celtic and famously led them to a European final in 2003.
However, if the Derryman can drag this unfancied, injury and suspension ravaged Republic of Ireland team to it's third European Championship finals, it will rate as one of his greatest ever achievments.
His team tonight will contain a couple of English Championship players and one or two who are out of favour at their clubs while he comes up against a Bosnia & Herzegovina team containing five players who were in action in the last round of Champions League ties.
The mood here amongst Irish fans and media alike, is one of nervous anticipation and looking at it realistically a defeat for the Boys in Green is expected.
O'Neill and his players, including the likes of Seamus Coleman, remain defiant however and I have been speaking to both men in the build up to this tense tie in Zenica
The Boys in Green prepare for battle in Zenica - ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
He may not have had the armband or played as much lately but there is no doubting that Robbie Keane is still the true leader in the Irish dressing room and he's been giving some words of inspiration this week
Games against Poland and Germany have been put firmly out of mind by Coleman while there's no mistaking what assistant boss Roy Keane's thoughts are heading into this one!
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