Adam Idah's Eventful Week: Transfer and Late Equalizer for Ireland
Monday: Adam Idah completed a transfer from Celtic to Championship side Swansea City on deadline day.
Saturday: In his first World Cup qualifying match, Idah scored a late equalizer off the bench, securing a point for the Republic of Ireland in a 2-2 draw against Hungary.
Idah, reflecting on the week, described it as "crazy." After signing a five-year contract with Swansea, the 24-year-old returned home to prepare for the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia.
By Saturday evening, he had made a significant impact, scoring his sixth international goal, which proved crucial in salvaging a much-needed point for his team.
Idah shared his emotions after a whirlwind few days, stating, "The manager told me when I came on to get in the box as there would be a lot of crosses coming in, so I had to try to get on one." He credited his teammate Ryan Manning for delivering the perfect cross, allowing him to stay focused and score with a header.
"It was a crazy week. I had no intentions of leaving Celtic, but when Swansea expressed interest, I saw it as a good opportunity to move to the Championship and start anew," he explained. "I cherished my time at Celtic and created wonderful memories, but it was probably the right moment for a change."
'We fought well'
Fans of the Republic of Ireland had also hoped for a "fresh start" as optimism grew ahead of the Hungary match, believing the team under Heimir Hallgrimsson could qualify for their first World Cup since 2002 after an unbeaten start to 2025.
However, that optimism waned by 20:00 BST when the team fell behind 2-0 within 16 minutes due to defensive lapses that allowed Barnabas Varga and Roland Sallai to score.
Hope was rekindled in the second half as Hallgrimsson's squad rallied, with Evan Ferguson scoring before Sallai received a red card.
In the 93rd minute, Idah seized his moment, heading in a cross from Ryan Manning to level the score. Despite the equalizer, a sense of frustration lingered over what could have been, as many viewed the match as a must-win in their quest for qualification.
Following Sallai's dismissal, the Republic of Ireland dominated possession and delivered numerous crosses into the box, yet only managed to threaten the goal twice—once with a header from Finn Azaz that was expertly saved by Denes Dibusz and then with Idah's decisive header.
Though disappointed not to secure all three points, Idah highlighted the team's resilience in fighting back, stating, "Going 2-0 down early on is tough, and many probably thought we were out of the game, but to come back was great. We didn't lose, which is a positive, but we could have gone on to win it. In past games, going 2-0 down early might have crushed us, but we fought well and it's unfortunate we didn't get the three points. Looking back, this game could be important for us. If you can't win, at least don't lose, and that's what we achieved tonight."