Wales Prepared to Take on Anyone in FIFA World Cup Play-off Fixture

Wales football team celebration

Wales have secured 8 of their last sixteen matches under coach Craig Bellamy

The team's attention are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they await discovering their semi-final and potential final challengers.

After finished as runners-up in their qualifying group following a dominant 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will host the semifinal encounter on their own turf.

They will meet either the Albanian side, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales forward Rob Earnshaw thinks the Dragons will welcome a tie against whichever opponent following their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'give us anyone, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw said.

"Many supporters were saying recently, 'should we really want Ireland as it's that derby feel?'. I think many supporters were hesitant. But personally, that would be fantastic.

"It's one of those, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or the Bosnians and the Albanians are not bad and Ireland, of course, they're a capable team so it will be challenging.

"However the sense is that we're prepared for anybody at the moment and it doesn't matter, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semi-final Opponents Reviewed

Wales are placed 34th in the world standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Republic of Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side 84th.

The Albanian national team had a solid qualification run, with their only losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without allowing a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Red and Blacks's more notable names, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their goal chart in qualifying with three goals.

Importantly, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, failing to reach the last 16 on each times.

As Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult campaigns, with both failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss ended the six-game qualifiers 3 points ahead of Kosovo, whose single loss was at the hands of the group winners.

The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his country's all-time leading goalscorer – in a squad targeting a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never faced the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than Wales achieved in their eight games, but nonetheless ended two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from securing a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians meant the pair drew in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.

Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but did have a unforgettable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after losing.

Being his nation's all-time leading scorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's star player.

The veteran was his squad's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with five goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

Having secured only a single point from their opening three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the playoffs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to secure runner-up spot in Group F in dramatic fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his side's revival while Premier League keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one jersey his own.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their last 4 encounters with Wales, losing 3 of these, though James McClean broke the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.

Jeffrey Hardy
Jeffrey Hardy

Lena ist eine leidenschaftliche Reisende und Fotografin, die ihre Erlebnisse in lebendigen Geschichten teilt.