Northern Ireland vs Germany
I remember the year well.
It was the year I first really got entranced by football games.
An era before I started studying betting odds and dreaming of making a quick sports betting buck!
After all, I was still at primary school.
A more innocent time when the chance to see football teams from across the globe engage in combat was a rare treat.
One of those memories was seeing Northern Ireland take on the giants of Brazil and a full-back called Josimar strike a wonder debut goal past the legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings in his final ever appearance for the Green and White Army.
A chance for the talented young Norman Whiteside (a world-class talent whose career was blighted by injury) and a group largely made up of journeymen to challenge giants on the world stage.
For two weeks only, Mexico City was richer for the David and Goliath meetings such as this in the searing heat of Guadalajara.
Northern Ireland may have been defeated 3-0 on that occasion, following a narrow defeat to Spain and a draw with Algeria, but the memories live on.
That was 31 years ago and Northern Ireland have never qualified for a World Cup since. Nor, realistically, come close.
That is, until now.
The country that created a handful of world-class talents such as George Best, Jennings and Whiteside, have no such star quality nowadays.
However, they dream of a return to the top table.
Even victory against reigning world champions Germany in Belfast (another David and Goliath encounter) will probably not be enough to seal an automatic qualifying spot.
Michael O’Neill’s side are five points behind the Germans who seem almost certain to top Group C (a draw will confirm that).
But Northern Ireland are in a good position to progress to next month’s play-offs and a positive result here could potentially make their job easier.
For maintaining a high position in the FIFA rankings will help keep them apart from some of the other main players who seem likely to be contesting a play-off, most notably European champions Portugal, Italy and Sweden.
After their Euro 2016 exploits, what joy it would bring to Northern Ireland to be able to compete in a second successive major tournament for the first major time in their history.
Not even Best, Jennings and Whiteside managed that!
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