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Mick McCarthy will be asked to guide Ireland to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, no matter what happens against Saudi Arabia in Yokohama on Tuesday night, Sports.com can exclusively reveal.
FAI officials want to extend McCarthy's contract beyond the European Championships in Portugal in two year's time. FAI chiefs here in Japan have already sounded out the possibility of
extending McCarthy's contract for another two years.
And president Milo Corcoran admitted: "We would be mad to lose Mick McCarthy as manager. I would love to see him stay until the next World Cup and I know that is what the FAI wants.
"Mick has done a great job with this Irish team and the result against Germany on Wednesday night was the proof of that.
"The whole world saw how well Ireland played against the Germans and we are confident now that Mick can guide this team to the second phase with the win we need against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night.
"He is under contract to us for two years but it would be mad not to look to keep him beyond that."
McCarthy, rocked by the Keane affair that led to his captainšs World Cup expulsion, is keeping mum about his future.
He threatened to quit if a Keane return was forced on him by the FAI but now his relationship with his employers is stronger than ever after Ireland's bright start to their Group E campaign.
"The bond between the manager and the FAI is better than ever," added
