Craig Bellamy's squad Set to Challenge Anyone in FIFA World Cup Play-off Fixture

Wales football team celebration

Wales have secured eight of their previous 16 matches under manager Craig Bellamy

The team's focus are firmly on Thursday's World Cup play-off draw as they await learning their semi-final and potential final opponents.

Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group following a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – Wales will host the semifinal match on their own turf.

They will meet either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kosovan team or Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw thinks the Welsh squad will welcome a match against any opponent after their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mindset is 'give us whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"Many people were saying recently, 'should we really want Republic of Ireland because of that derby atmosphere?'. In my view many supporters didn't. But for me, that could be incredible.

"It's one of those, indeed, we're ready for the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a strong team so they'll be tough.

"But the sense is that we'll take anybody right now and it doesn't matter, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Play-off Semifinal Opponents Reviewed

The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the FIFA standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Republic of Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.

The Albanian national team had a impressive qualification campaign, with their sole losses suffered at the hands of their group winners England, who secured full points without allowing a solitary goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's more notable names, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their scoring tally in the qualifiers with three goals.

Notably, the Albanians have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, failing to reach the last 16 on each occasions.

As Slovenia and Sweden endured torrid runs, with both failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss finished the six-game campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose one defeat came at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his country's all-time leading goalscorer – in a team aiming for a first international competition appearance.

They have not yet faced the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated just once in the qualifiers, and earned a points more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished 2 points adrift of Group H winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from clinching a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the pair tied in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the pool.

The Welsh have not managed to beat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but did have a unforgettable loss against the Dragons as they qualified for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after losing.

As his nation's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's standout player.

The 39-year-old was his team's top scorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

Having taken just one point from their opening three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the playoffs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott scored the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to take second place in Group F in dramatic fashion.

Key player Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's revival while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one position his to keep.

Ireland are winless in their last four meetings with Wales, defeated in 3 of those, though James McClean broke the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.

Jacqueline Garner
Jacqueline Garner

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