Vera Pauw's Republic of Ireland future remains clouded by uncertainty, with the manager's current contract due to expire in the next few weeks.
Pauw has consistently aired her desire to remain at the helm. At the start of June she said that her representative Ciaran Medlar was in talks with the FAI about a possible new deal, but those discussions appear to have stalled.
It's now possible that Monday's World Cup group clash with Nigeria in Brisbane will be Pauw's final game in charge of the Girls in Green, though the 60-year-old refused to dwell on that possibility.
"I have been clear and I stick with that," she said on Saturday when asked about her contract situation.
"I have not heard yet, but I have been clear to the FAI, to everyone, to the public. I am preparing for a game and I have not heard yet.
"I am here in a tournament and I have said I want only the performance here. I'm a professional so my personal issues do not matter at all at this moment. We have a huge game on Monday, and I mean that. I won’t even want to talk at this moment.
"All my energy needs to go into getting this group ready again for a world-class performance."
At her pre-match conference on Sunday, Pauw reiterated the stance.
"Yes," she replied curtly when asked if she felt clarity was needed from the FAI around her position.
"If you don't feel that you can touch players anymore, that is the moment [to leave]"
Pauw is almost four years in the job, having succeeded Colin Bell in September 2019.
She remains confident that the squad is fully behind her, adding: "The only thing I can say is what I can see and that is that players are buying into the gameplans and that we are playing every game better.
"If you don't feel that you can touch players anymore, that is the moment [to leave]. But usually that’s around year six or so, when players get tired and the coach gets tired.
"As long as we move up every game playing better, and having played the best game ever, then you touch each other."
On Saturday, four senior players spoke to the press and all were asked if they wanted Pauw to stay on. Their answers were almost identical.
First, Kyra Carusa said: "Honestly, we are still in the World Cup. It is my first World Cup and I think we owe it to ourselves to stay focused on that. We'll play our game on Monday and go from there."
Veteran centre-half Louise Quinn responded: "I haven't thought that much forward. I’m wondering what I’m having for lunch later, I’m wondering what the schedule is for tomorrow. We’ve got a massive game that Vera’s going to get us prepared for, lead us into. For us, that’s obviously what we’re concentrating on right now. I haven’t thought anything past that."
Lucy Quinn, who made her debut under Pauw, said: "I'm really thankful to have been given my first ever caps under Vera but honestly that’s not something I’m thinking about or have any control over. I’m just here to focus on the tournament and worry about next game."
And Lily Agg echoed her team-mates when adding: "To be honest, I think that's something as players that we can't really think about. We have to just focus on the game, we have to focus on the World Cup. We are just going to focus on the game come Monday and we will leave that to the FAI and everyone else really."
Megan Connolly, speaking at Sunday's press conference, said: "I can't really speak personally on that. It is not my decision. What we have achieved in the past two, three years under Vera has been amazing. She helped us get to this point and I can only speak on my own personal experience and Vera has been great for me. But that is not my decision."
Ireland are facing into another tough task in Brisbane. Nigeria have been excellent so far, holding Canada to a goalless draw and then producing a brilliant display to beat Australia. They need a result against Ireland to make the last 16.
Ireland - who can not get out of the group after losing their first two games - could be without Heather Payne, who pulled out of the Canada clash due to a tight hamstring. However Pauw has vowed to play her strongest possible team as she looks to end the tournament on a high.
"We think Heather might be okay, think she might be able to play and there are no other doubts. If there are changes to play, the game-plan is set and we are going to put the dots on the i's today.
"FIFA has put millions into it and given us huge bonuses and we have an obligation towards sport in general for women to go for a win. How that turns out is for later, but we've discussed with the players that we go for our best game ever.
"We have an obligation to ourselves, to our fans who came out to the other side of the world, the country has been upside down, but we also have a huge responsibility to the tournament, because Canada and Australia depend on our result and that tournament is something that is a worldwide event."
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