Northern Ireland to face Belarus at Windsor Park

Northern Ireland's Nations League match at home to Belarus on 15 November will be played at Windsor Park after the visitors were granted visas.

There had been uncertainty over whether Belarus' players, staff and officials would be granted visas by the UK government because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

However, at the end of October, Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said he was "confident" the game would take place in Belfast.

Further progress has now been made and it will happen at the National Stadium as scheduled.

The reverse fixture on Saturday, 12 October was played behind closed doors in western Hungary because of restrictions on Belarus from Uefa, European football's governing body.

While Uefa's restrictions will not impact the return fixture, a venue in Europe would have had to have been to be secured if permission was not granted by the UK government for the game to take place in Belfast.

Belarus was included in the UK's sanctions against Russia, as the country has allowed its territory to be used by Russia's army to launch attacks into northern Ukraine.

Manager Michael O'Neill had said he had hoped for a resolution and it would have been "unfair" if the game was moved away from Windsor Park.

Northern Ireland are currently top of League C Group three after four matches.

They finish their campaign at home to Belarus in Belfast before a final match away to Luxembourg on 18 November.