Wales Prepared to Challenge Anyone in World Cup Play-off Draw
The team has won 8 of their last 16 matches with manager Craig Bellamy
Wales' focus are squarely on the upcoming World Cup play-off draw as they await learning their semifinal and potential final rivals.
After ended as runners-up in their qualification group thanks to a dominant 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – the side will play the semifinal match on their own turf.
They will play against either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Ex- Wales forward Rob Earnshaw believes the Welsh squad will welcome a tie against any opponent following their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'bring on whoever, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw commented.
"A lot of fans were wondering last night, 'should we really want Republic of Ireland as it's that local atmosphere?'. I think a number of people didn't. But for me, that could be incredible.
"So it's one of those, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they are a capable team so it will be difficult.
"But the sense is that we'll take anyone right now and we're confident, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
Possible Playoff Semifinal Opponents Evaluated
The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the world rankings, with Albania 61st, Republic of Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.
The Albanian national team had a strong qualification run, with their sole defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without allowing a single goal.
Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's more notable names, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in the qualifiers with 3 goals.
Importantly, Albania have never qualified for a World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, failing to advance to the knockout stages on both occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden had poor campaigns, with each failing to win a qualification match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Switzerland ended the six-game qualifiers three points ahead of the Kosovans, whose single defeat was at the hands of the pool winners.
The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a squad targeting a maiden major tournament appearance.
They have not yet played the Welsh team.
Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless ended two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from securing a spot at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians meant the teams tied in the final game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.
The Welsh have failed to beat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but experienced a unforgettable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.
As his country's historic top goalscorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's key player.
The 39-year-old was his team's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.
And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.
Having secured only a single point from their opening 3 matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott scored the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a triple – with the final goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish surprised Hungary to secure runner-up place in Group F in dramatic style.
Talisman Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his side's resurgence while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his own.
Ireland are without a win in their last four meetings with Wales, losing three of those, though James McClean shattered the hearts of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.